BMC Neuroscience
November 2, 2004
Giulio Tononi
1,703 citations
Consciousness corresponds to a system's capacity to integrate information, measurable as Phi—the amount of causally effective information integrated across a complex of elements. This theory explains why consciousness arises from the thalamocortical system but not the cerebellum, why it diminishes during dreamless sleep and generalized seizures, and why neural processes underlying consciousness can influence or be influenced by unconscious ones. It also accounts for the unity and differentiation of conscious experiences. The theory implies that consciousness is a graded, fundamental quantity present in infants and animals, and that conscious artifacts could be built.
BMC Neuroscience
March 5, 2015
Ludmyla Kandratavicius, Priscila Alves Balista, Daniele C. Wolf et al.
40 citations
Nitric oxide donors, especially sodium nitroprusside (SNP), show promise for treating schizophrenia. In a rat model using ketamine to induce schizophrenia-like behaviors, SNP given either before or after ketamine consistently reduced hyperlocomotion. Glyceryl trinitrate and SNP given after ketamine improved long-term memory, while methylene blue given before ketamine also improved long-term memory. The effects depended on whether the drug was administered before or after ketamine, suggesting the timing of treatment matters. These findings indicate that nitric oxide modulation could be a new pharmacological approach for schizophrenia.
BMC Neuroscience
April 17, 2008
Anna M.s. Kindlundh-Högberg, Anna Blomqvist, Rana Malki et al.
40 citations
Repeated intermittent administration of MDMA alters gene-transcript expression of glutamatergic NMDA and AMPA receptor subunits, metabotropic receptors, and transporters in brain regions that regulate reward-related associative learning, cognition, memory, and neuro-endocrine functions.
BMC Neuroscience
March 24, 2026
Michael Fiorillo, Javier González-Maeso
Pretreating male mice with the psychedelic compound DOI, which activates serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, reduced brain inflammation and sickness behaviors caused by a later immune challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). DOI lowered hippocampal levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α, restored normal movement, decreased immobility in a forced swim test, and sped up body-weight recovery. These protective effects were partly preserved in mice lacking the 5-HT2A receptor, suggesting both receptor-dependent and receptor-independent mechanisms. Mice missing the receptor showed exaggerated inflammatory responses to LPS. Higher IL-6 levels in the hippocampus correlated with more depressive-like behavior, while higher IL-13 and IL-2 levels correlated with less immobility.