Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications - BBRC
January 1, 2022
Ya-Ting Wang, Ning-Ning Zhang, Ling Liu et al.
47 citations
Ketamine, an NMDAR antagonist, and rapastinel, an NMDAR positive allosteric modulator, both produce rapid and sustained antidepressant effects, but rapastinel lacks ketamine's severe side effects. Their shared antidepressant action converges on the BDNF and mTORC1 signaling pathways, which promote synaptic plasticity. This suggests that targeting downstream synaptic processes could guide the development of next-generation rapid-acting antidepressants.
Psychotherapy and psychosomatics
January 1, 2025
Yanjuan Li, Yi Zhang, Chun Wang et al.
13 citations
Adding facilitator-supported mindfulness-based self-help (MBSH) to usual treatment leads to faster and greater reductions in anxiety and depression for people with emotional disorders. In a randomized trial with 302 patients from four centers, those who received MBSH plus usual care showed significantly more improvement in symptoms, mindfulness, physical symptoms, stress, sleep, and inner peace immediately after the program compared to those receiving usual care alone. Some benefits, including reduced depression and stress and increased mindfulness, appeared as early as three to five weeks and were maintained three months later. The approach is a scalable and effective addition to clinical practice.
Minerva anestesiologica
January 1, 2025
Yuchang Zhu, Xujian Wang, Lifeng Wang et al.
3 citations
In children undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, adding esketamine during anesthesia reduced postoperative pain and emergence agitation without increasing side effects. Eighty children were randomly assigned to receive esketamine or a control. Pain scores (FLACC scale) were lower in the esketamine group at all measured times from 15 minutes to 24 hours after surgery (e.g., 2.4 vs. 3.4 at 15 minutes). Emergence agitation scores were also lower. Blood markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6) rose less in the esketamine group. Recovery times and adverse reactions were similar between groups.
Molecules
June 18, 2026
Mengxuan Dong, Yi Zhang, Manzhu Cao et al.
Psilocybin, a psychedelic drug with reported anxiolytic and antidepressant potential, is rapidly metabolized to its active metabolite psilocin. Behavioral tests in zebrafish exposed to three doses (20, 40, and 80 μM) for 4 hours showed pronounced hyperactivity and disrupted swimming patterns, with significant increases in zone transitions and shuttle frequency. Mass spectrometry imaging revealed that psilocin distributed widely across tissues including eye, brain, heart, liver, and kidney, with marked accumulation in the brain and periportal liver regions. Relative psilocin signal intensity increased dose-dependently, and the dose-dependent increase in both behavioral hyperactivity and brain psilocin levels suggests a consistent relationship with a central site of action. These findings demonstrate the utility of mass spectrometry imaging for studying drug distribution and offer insights into the biological effects and potential risks of psilocybin.
Journal of Cultural and Religious Studies
January 18, 2026
Yi Zhang
The private language argument, central to Wittgenstein's later philosophy, challenges the Cartesian view of mind and body as distinct and independent substances. This article argues that the mind should instead be understood as the root of the body, rejecting Cartesian dualism. By examining the implications of the private language argument for the Cartesian theory of mind, the author contends that the mind and body are not separate entities. The argument draws on the paradigm of sensation to show that a private language—one that only the speaker can understand—is incoherent, thereby undermining the Cartesian project of establishing the existence of God through first philosophy.