PloS one
January 1, 2025
Filip Stanicic, Vladimir Zah, Dimitrije Grbic et al.
5 citations
A systematic review of 77 randomized controlled trials compared MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) with current treatments for chronic, treatment-resistant, moderate or higher severity PTSD in adults. MDMA-AT consistently showed greater improvement on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) than placebo with therapy after two or three sessions, with durable effects lasting a mean of 45.4 months (0.9-point CAPS decrease from post-treatment). Some medications (venlafaxine ER, olanzapine, propranolol with memory reactivation, nefazodone, nabilone) and psychotherapies (cognitive therapy, CBT, CPT, PE) also showed significant CAPS improvement, but most psychotherapies lacked between-group comparisons. MDMA-AT also improved depression scores (19.7-point vs. 10.8-point decrease on BDI-II) and led to loss of PTSD diagnosis in 41.7-83.3% of participants. The review suggests current treatments have heterogeneous evidence and often lack sustained effects, while MDMA-AT showed consistent improvements.
PloS one
January 1, 2024
Michele F Rodrigues, Larissa Junkes, Jose Appolinario et al.
5 citations
This systematic review protocol outlines a planned investigation into whether Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) effectively reduces depressive symptoms in adults with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) compared to standard care or other active treatments, and whether its safety profile is comparable. The review will search multiple databases and trial registries for randomized clinical trials and quasi-experimental studies without language or date restrictions. Study quality will be assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, and confidence in the evidence will be appraised using GRADE methodology. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO in April 2023.
PloS one
January 1, 2024
Erik Jönhagen, Tim Wood, Maria Niemi et al.
5 citations
Mindfulness practice can produce intense experiences that for some individuals resemble psychotic-like experiences, according to a qualitative study of 13 mindfulness teacher trainees. Over four months, participants submitted fortnightly meditation reports. Most practitioners frequently described intense experiences during meditation, and in some cases these experiences were similar to psychotic-like experiences. The findings suggest that adverse effects, including intense and potentially psychosis-like experiences, can occur as a natural part of mindfulness practice, raising concerns for both clinical and non-clinical settings.
PloS one
January 1, 2023
Amanda Lathan, Barbara Dritschel
5 citations
People who have recovered from depression remain vulnerable to future episodes, partly because of lingering problems in how they recall personal memories. A small randomized trial tested whether four weeks of self-compassion meditation could improve autobiographical memory retrieval in 50 adults with remitted depression. Compared with a coloring control group, the meditation group retrieved more specific memories. Both groups showed increases in positive memories and memories recalled from a first-person (field) perspective. No changes occurred in how remote the memories were. The findings suggest self-compassion meditation may help correct cognitive patterns that increase depression risk, though larger studies are needed.
PloS one
January 1, 2025
Haruyuki Ishikawa, Toshizumi Muta, Tetsuri Abe et al.
4 citations
Practicing focused attention meditation before open-monitoring meditation helps novices acquire mindfulness skills more effectively than the reverse order. In a study of 33 Japanese undergraduate and graduate students new to meditation, those who completed four weeks of focused attention followed by four weeks of open-monitoring scored higher on most mindfulness skills than a wait-list control group. They also developed awareness, describing, acceptance, and observing skills earlier than participants who practiced the meditations in reverse order. However, the ability to stay aware in the present moment improved earlier in the reverse-order group. The findings suggest that the traditional sequence of focused attention before open-monitoring primarily affects how quickly skills develop rather than their final level.
PloS one
January 1, 2024
Filip Stanicic, Vladimir Zah, Dimitrije Grbic et al.
4 citations
For patients with chronic PTSD of moderate or higher severity, MDMA-assisted therapy may be cost-effective compared to placebo with therapy in US healthcare settings. A health state-transition model estimated an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $83,845 per quality-adjusted life year, below a $150,000 willingness-to-pay threshold. Total direct costs were $64,745 for MDMA-AT and $33,132 for placebo with therapy. MDMA-AT generated 3.691 QALYs over 5 years versus 3.314 for placebo with therapy, a gain of 0.377 QALYs. Costs for PTSD healthcare visits and other PTSD treatments were lower with MDMA-AT. The highest MDMA medication cost to remain under the threshold was $20,314 per session.
PloS one
January 1, 2025
Wei Wang, Dan Wang, Li Liu et al.
3 citations
Methamphetamine was the most consumed drug in four cities of Guangdong Province, with consumption ranging from 65 to 223 mg per 1000 inhabitants per day, followed by heroin (19-55 mg/1000 inh/d), codeine (7-20 mg/1000 inh/d), and ketamine (1-13 mg/1000 inh/d). Prevalence rates of methamphetamine, heroin, and ketamine across the cities were 0.149%-0.411%, 0.003%-0.019%, and 0.003%-0.196%, respectively. Between 2023 and 2024, heroin prevalence showed a downward trend, while methamphetamine and ketamine prevalence increased. Cocaine was detected in only two wastewater treatment plants, and MDMA in two separate plants. The analysis of wastewater samples from 67 treatment plants over one year identified six of ten monitored illicit drugs.
PloS one
January 1, 2024
Elena Argento, Tashia Petker, Jayesh Vig et al.
3 citations
Therapists who provide ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) believe that their own personal psychedelic experiences help them better understand clients' experiences and strengthen the therapeutic relationship. All eight therapists interviewed, all formally trained in KAT, expressed a desire for formal experiential training, which they viewed as missing from their current education. Additional themes included the importance of relational safety and the therapeutic container, KAT's impact on professional development, and navigating risks, especially with clients who have complex trauma. The findings indicate a need for enhanced training and evidence-based standardization of psychedelic-assisted therapy programs that incorporate experiential learning.
PloS one
January 1, 2022
P Kelly, T Macêdo, T Felipe et al.
3 citations
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most people (64.78%) maintained their usual frequency of lucid dreams—dreams in which the dreamer is aware they are dreaming. However, a substantial minority (22.62%) reported more frequent lucid dreams, while 12.60% reported fewer. The proportion of people experiencing lucid dreams at least once per week also rose. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant pandemic-related increase in lucid dream recall. This increase was linked to higher recall of dreams and nightmares, poorer sleep quality, and symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder. The findings suggest that pandemic-related stress, anxiety, sleep disruption, and longer sleep—which increase awakenings from REM sleep—may contribute to more lucid dreams, dreams, and nightmares.
PloS one
January 1, 2025
Johny Bozdarov, Brett D M Jones, Madeha Umer et al.
2 citations
A 10-week trial of Mindfulness-Based Boxing Therapy (MBBT) for adults with major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder showed high retention (89%), attendance (84%), and satisfaction (98%). Among eight outpatients in Toronto, depression scores dropped 54%, anxiety 51%, and distress 36%, while mindfulness increased 79%. Participants reported benefits including cathartic release, improved self-esteem, and a sense of community. The authors conclude that MBBT is feasible and acceptable as an exercise-based intervention, but caution that larger randomized trials are needed to confirm clinical benefits.
PloS one
January 1, 2025
Jiaqi Wu, Lixin Ai
2 citations
Brief mindfulness training (15 minutes) improved visual attention behaviors in university football players during penalty kicks, especially under pressure. In non-stress conditions, players who received mindfulness training showed increased fixation duration and fixation count compared to a quiet-sitting control group, but their penalty kick scores did not change. Under pressure, the mindfulness group again showed significant gains in fixation duration and fixation count, yet penalty kick scores still did not significantly improve. The improvement in fixation duration was larger under pressure than in non-stress conditions, suggesting that brief mindfulness may help athletes maintain attentional stability when facing high-stakes tasks.
PloS one
January 1, 2025
Zhilin Chen, Jie Ge, Quan Gan et al.
2 citations
Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) involves uncontrolled gaming that harms emotional well-being, responsibilities, and relationships, and is linked to deficits in executive functions such as inhibition, updating, and shifting. Mindfulness interventions may improve these cognitive abilities. This planned study will recruit 82 individuals diagnosed with IGD and 40 non-addicted gamers, split evenly into a 7-day mindfulness breathing meditation group or a progressive muscle relaxation control group. Outcomes measured at seven time points include EEG data, behavioral response times and accuracy, heart rate variability, self-reported craving, mindfulness, executive function, and impulsivity. Secondary measures cover anxiety, stress, affect, sleep, personality, and health. The research aims to test whether brief mindfulness training improves executive function in IGD and to identify underlying neural mechanisms, potentially guiding targeted interventions.
PloS one
January 1, 2024
Nicholas Hagger-Vaughan, Daniel Kolnier, Johan F Storm
2 citations
A newly described type of depolarising plateau potential (PP) in layer 2/3 pyramidal cells of rat prefrontal cortex slices generates sustained spiking that outlasts the triggering stimulus. Unlike previously known plateau potentials that rely on the apical dendrite, these PPs persist even when the apical dendrite is severed, and are sustained by calcium application only to the soma and basal dendrites. They depend on metabotropic cholinergic or glutamatergic modulation and on TRPC4 and TRPC5 cation channels, requiring external calcium and internal calcium stores but not voltage-gated calcium channels. These PPs may underlie sustained activity important for working memory, access consciousness, and executive functions.
PloS one
January 1, 2024
Josh Martin, Fatemeh Gholamali Nezhad, Alice Rueda et al.
2 citations
Ketamine shows rapid antidepressant effects in major depressive disorder, including treatment-resistant depression, but many patients do not respond, and predicting who will benefit is difficult. This study will examine computational mechanisms behind changes in the auditory mismatch negativity response after intravenous ketamine, linking them to neural causes using a hierarchical Bayesian model and a neural mass model. Thirty patients with treatment-resistant depression will undergo EEG recordings during an auditory mismatch negativity task before three of four ketamine infusions, with depression, suicidality, and anxiety assessed throughout. The findings may improve understanding of treatment response and resistance, and model parameters could enable single-patient treatment predictions.
PloS one
January 1, 2023
Anastasia Demina, Benjamin Petit, Vincent Meille et al.
2 citations
Combining mindfulness training with non-invasive brain stimulation may have synergistic effects on mental health, but this emerging field has not yet been systematically reviewed. This protocol outlines a planned systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that test the combination of these two interventions in humans. The primary outcomes are changes in anxiety and depression symptoms; secondary outcomes include other mental health measures. Searches of four databases and three trial registries began in November 2022. Two authors will independently extract data, assess bias with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and evaluate evidence strength using GRADE. The review aims to determine whether a quantitative synthesis is appropriate based on clinical heterogeneity.
PloS one
January 1, 2026
Aliya Islam, Javeria Rehman, Sumbul Mujeeb et al.
1 citation
A mixed-methods study at Baqai Dental College in Karachi, Pakistan, with sixty-nine final-year dental students found that two mindfulness-based life skill-building sessions reduced burnout. Mean exhaustion scores on the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory-Student Survey were significantly lower after the intervention. Qualitative focus group discussions revealed that exhaustion strongly affected personal, academic, and professional life, and students expressed satisfaction with the sessions and a desire for more such programs. The findings indicate that brief mindfulness interventions can help alleviate academic stress and burnout during the transition from student to practicing dentist.
PloS one
January 1, 2025
Erik J Groessl, Thomas R Rutledge
1 citation
An analysis of a randomized trial of 203 veterans with PTSD found that Transcendental Meditation (TM) was more cost-effective than Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy or health education (HE). TM cost $1,504 for 12 sessions, while PE cost $2,822 and HE cost $492. TM was non-inferior to PE for improving PTSD symptoms, and both TM and PE outperformed HE. Clinically significant improvement occurred in 61% of the TM group, 42% of the PE group, and 32% of the HE group. Higher healthcare costs for non-responders offset the lower intervention cost of HE, making TM the dominant strategy over both alternatives over a 5-year horizon.
PloS one
January 1, 2025
Sarah Kratina, Carol Strike, Robert Schwartz et al.
1 citation
Psychedelic substances show growing therapeutic potential for easing psychological suffering at the end of life, yet policy remains restrictive. Existing reviews have mostly covered psilocybin for anxiety and depression, but have not adequately addressed the range of substances (ayahuasca, psilocybin, ketamine) and therapeutic approaches (psychedelics alone or with psychotherapy) used specifically in end-of-life populations. This scoping review will follow Arksey and O'Malley's framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines to search health science databases for empirical studies on psychedelic interventions, psychological suffering, and end-of-life issues. Extracted data will cover intervention details, participant characteristics, outcomes, and theorised mechanisms to inform future care strategies.
PloS one
January 1, 2025
Justin DeMaranville, Tinakon Wongpakaran, Nahathai Wongpakaran et al.
1 citation
Among 443 Thai high school students (mean age 16.35 years, 87.9% female), Buddha image visualization, Manomayiddhi, and breathing meditation were each associated with specific mental health benefits. Buddha image visualization predicted higher self-esteem and resilience, and lower anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. Manomayiddhi predicted higher resilience and lower anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. Breathing meditation predicted lower depression. Practicing any meditation daily was linked to the best mental health scores.
PloS one
January 1, 2025
Anne S Fleiner, Daniel Kolnier, Nicholas Hagger-Vaughan et al.
1 citation
Propofol and ketamine, two common general anesthetics, affect consciousness differently—propofol produces a deeply unconscious state with few dreams, while ketamine often leads to vivid dreaming. In rat brain slices of the medial prefrontal cortex, an area linked to conscious access and working memory, researchers added muscarine to mimic an aroused state and recorded electrical activity in layer 2/3 pyramidal cells. Muscarine triggered long-lasting depolarizing plateau potentials and spiking. Pre-incubation with a low dose of propofol reduced these plateau potentials and significantly reduced spiking, whereas a low dose of ketamine appeared to enhance them, though not significantly. A high dose of ketamine suppressed both. The contrasting effects on plateau potentials may relate to the different clinical experiences of dreaming under these drugs.
PloS one
January 1, 2024
Kristen M Lee, Bita Ghanei, A Janet Tomiyama
1 citation
Weight stigma is widespread, but existing interventions have only modest effects. Two experiments tested a loving kindness meditation (LKM) as a novel approach. Experiment 1 examined whether LKM reduces explicit and implicit anti-fat bias and increases empathy, depending on whether the recipient is a close other or a stranger. Experiment 2 compared LKM to an empathy intervention and a control. The LKM increased empathic care but did not reduce anti-fat bias relative to control. In unadjusted analyses, LKM (but not the empathy intervention) led to greater empathy than control. Unexpectedly, participants in both LKM and empathy interventions were more likely to engage in stigmatizing behavior than those in the control. These results indicate that LKM may not effectively reduce weight stigma despite boosting empathy.
PloS one
January 1, 2024
Antoine Grigis, Chloé Gomez, Vincent Frouin et al.
1 citation
A new framework uses a linear latent variable model to identify and quantify resting-state brain networks from fMRI recordings, addressing the atlas selection problem and enabling statistical inference on network activities. Applied to monkey data under different anesthetics with static functional connectivity, the method suggests that two networks—one fronto-parietal and cingular, another posterior (temporo-parieto-occipital)—strongly influence shifts in consciousness, particularly between anesthesia and wakefulness. This aligns with the global neural workspace and integrated information theories of consciousness. The approach can also decode anesthesia level from network activities and may aid studies of disorders of consciousness.
PloS one
January 1, 2023
Justine Van de Velde, Katia Levecque, Bert Weijters et al.
1 citation
A six-month meditation practice of five to ten minutes daily improved emotional and physical well-being and prevented the development of cognitive well-being problems among 199 teachers who meditated with their pupils. A control group of 42 teachers showed worsening cognitive well-being over the same period. The effects were strongest for emotional and cognitive well-being and followed a linear trend. The findings suggest that focused attention meditation, a technique used in many mindfulness-based interventions, contributes to the well-being benefits of those interventions. Occupational groups facing emotional, cognitive, or physical well-being issues may benefit from a few minutes of this practice per day.
PloS one
January 1, 2026
Yijun Wang, Xiaolu Lin, Xiang Zou et al.
After cesarean section, intravenous esketamine added to standard pain control reduced maximum pain scores within the first 24 hours (median 5 vs. 6 on a 0-10 scale) and also lessened pain at rest, with movement, and visceral pain at all measured time points. Women receiving esketamine had lower rates of postoperative depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders, as well as lower levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein. The time before the first patient-controlled painkiller press was longer in the esketamine group. No significant differences were seen in hyperalgesia or side effects between groups.
PloS one
January 1, 2026
Young Im Cho, Hyo Jin Kim, Dong Hee Kim
An adapted online Meditation-Mindfulness-Positive Psychology Training (MMPT) program, shortened to six sessions and tailored for nursing students in Korea, was tested for feasibility and preliminary effectiveness. In a mixed-methods pilot study, the experimental group showed significant improvements in gratitude disposition, self-compassion, and perceived stress, but not in mindfulness or overall mental health. Qualitative interviews revealed perceived gains in calmness, self-kindness, positivity, and coping, with students valuing gratitude journaling, compassion exercises, and peer support. The program appears feasible for reducing stress and boosting positive psychological resources, though larger and longer studies are needed.