PLoS ONE
June 23, 2014
Christopher Allen, Benjamin T. Dunkley, Suresh Muthukumaraswamy et al.
45 citations
Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) over the occipital cortex, expected to impair conscious vision, instead enhanced it relative to a sham control. The stimulation decreased cortical excitability and increased regional GABA concentration, suggesting that suppression of neural noise can improve the signal-to-noise ratio for conscious vision. No significant effects on magnetoencephalography measures were observed, though weak evidence for potentiation of beta-band event-related desynchronisation appeared. The authors propose that gating-by-inhibition in the visual cortex may be a foundation of consciousness.
Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
October 1, 2024
Shakila Meshkat, Fatemeh Gholaminezhad, Eric Vermetten et al.
24 citations
A systematic review of 20 studies with 2,959 participants found that psilocybin's effects on cognitive function are mixed. Global cognitive function and processing speed remained mostly unchanged in healthy individuals, while improvements in sustained attention, working memory, and executive function were reported in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Emotional processing and empathy were positively modified, especially in these patients, but cognitive empathy and social cognition were not significantly altered. Cognitive flexibility and creative cognition initially declined but could improve over time. Psilocybin improved semantic associations and associative learning, but effects on episodic and verbal memory were less pronounced than with other cognitive enhancers.
Journal of Military Veteran and Family Health
October 25, 2023
Amy C. Reichelt, Eric Vermetten, Benjamin T. Dunkley
5 citations
Concussion, a common acquired brain injury among military personnel, civilians, and contact sport athletes, causes transient mental impairment but poses a significant health burden, with a minority experiencing persistent symptoms and repetitive sub-concussive head injury increasing risk for neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. Treatment is challenging due to varied symptom profiles. Classic psychedelics show promise by aiding brain rewiring and providing anti-inflammatory effects. Nutraceutical interventions, which are widely available, cost-effective, and well tolerated, may support recovery when combined with psychedelic compounds. This review discusses studies on classical psychedelics and nutraceuticals as potential therapeutic strategies for concussions and persistent symptoms.
December 30, 2024
Sivert Drange, Jacob Cohen, Sys Stybe Johansen et al.
1 citation
preprint
In a pair of identical twins where one had obsessive-compulsive disorder and the other did not, the affected twin self-administered low, non-psychedelic doses of psilocybin. After the regimen, the affected twin reported a notable reduction in OCD symptoms, improved emotional regulation, and greater well-being. However, cognitive flexibility deficits—the ability to shift thinking—remained compared to the unaffected twin. This suggests that microdosing psilocybin may help relieve some OCD symptoms but does not fully address underlying cognitive impairments. Larger, longer studies are needed to understand how these low doses work and their potential as a treatment.