bioRxiv Preprint Server
July 7, 2022
Neil W Bailey, Harry Geddes, Isabella Zannettino et al.
5 citations
preprint
Experienced meditators exhibit distinct neural activity during performance monitoring and error-processing compared to non-meditators. Using a larger sample and more rigorous analyses than prior work, the study clarifies previously inconsistent findings, showing that long-term mindfulness practice is associated with altered brain responses when detecting and processing errors.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
July 2, 2025
Neil W Bailey, Aron T Hill, Kate Godfrey et al.
4 citations
Mindfulness meditation, which trains attention on sensory experiences with nonjudgmental awareness, is thought to sharpen sensory processing and reduce top-down expectations. This study measured forward and backward traveling cortical alpha waves—proposed to reflect bottom-up inhibition and top-down inhibition, respectively—using electroencephalography in meditators and nonmeditators. During eyes-closed resting (97 participants) and a visual Go/No-go task (126 participants), meditators showed stronger forward traveling waves than nonmeditators in both conditions, and weaker backward traveling waves during rest. These neural differences may underlie enhanced attention and reduced mind-wandering associated with meditation, supporting models where mental training increases sensory awareness.
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
December 11, 2025
Adem T Can, Jim Lagopoulos, Paul B Fitzgerald et al.
2 citations
Ketamine is a fast-acting treatment for psychiatric conditions that do not respond to other therapies, but its use is controversial. Evidence shows it can reduce depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, yet it also carries risks such as dissociation, dependence, and unknown long-term effects. Its reputation as a recreational drug adds stigma and regulatory hurdles. The authors argue that ketamine should be accepted as a legitimate psychiatric treatment, but its use must be guided by ethical principles—autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice—and supported by careful regulation and research, avoiding both unwarranted rejection and premature hype.