Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christopher Timmermann, Leor Roseman, Sharad Haridas, Fernando E. Rosas, Lisa Luan, Hannes Kettner, Jonny Martell, David Erritzoe, Enzo Tagliazucchi, Carla Pallavicini, Manesh Girn, Andrea Alamia, Robert Leech, David J. Nutt, Robin L. Carhart-Harris
Summary: This study investigated the effects of DMT on human brain function using multimodal neuroimaging. The results showed that DMT increased global functional connectivity, disrupted and reorganized neural networks, and compressed the cortical gradient in the brain. Additionally, the effects of DMT were related to 5-HT2A receptors and overlapped with human-specific psychological functions. These findings contribute to our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of DMT.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Alexandre Augusto de Deus Pontual, Luis Fernando Tofoli, Carlos Fernando Collares, Johannes G. Ramaekers, Clarissa Mendonca Corradi-Webster
Summary: This study introduces a novel measurement scale, the Setting Questionnaire for the Ayahuasca Experience (SQAE), for assessing the setting in Ayahuasca consumption. Through exploratory graph analysis (EGA) and multidimensional item response theory (MIRT), the six identified dimensions were compared with a theoretical model, confirming the validity and providing a basis for future research on setting influences during ayahuasca experiences.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
David Dupuis
Summary: The author explores the socialization of hallucinations using ethnographic data from a shamanic center in the Peruvian Amazon, engaging with phenomenology and social cognition models. It is argued that cultural background and social interactions shape not only the hallucinogenic experience, but also its phenomenological content. The study also highlights the significance of psychedelic substances as powerful vectors of cultural transmission in the global North.
TRANSCULTURAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Juliana Mendes Rocha, Giordano Novak Rossi, Flavia L. Osorio, Jose Carlos Bouso Saiz, Gabriela De Oliveira Silveira, Mauricio Yonamine, Eduardo Jose Crevelin, Maria Eugenia Queiroz, Jaime E. Cecilio Hallak, Rafael Guimaraes Dos Santos
Summary: The study examined the effects of ayahuasca on personality in healthy volunteers and found inconsistent results, with a significant increase in Openness scores observed only in one of the trials 21 days post-drug intake. No similar effects were observed in the other trials.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Maggie K. Kiraga, Natasha L. Mason, Malin Uthaug, Kim I. M. van Oorsouw, Stefan W. Toennes, Johannes G. Ramaekers, Kim P. C. Kuypers
Summary: This study found that a single ingestion of ayahuasca in a social setting is associated with enhancement of subjective well-being, cognitive empathy, satisfaction with life, decentering, and implicit emotional empathy, compared to baseline. However, divergent thinking decreased post-ceremony, and trait neuroticism decreased at the 1-week follow-up.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Juuso Kahonen
Summary: This article presents an empirically informed framework of philosophical psychology to understand the relationship between self-transcendence and psychedelic value changes. It argues that self-transcendent experiences can lead to value changes by reducing egocentricity and expanding perspective. The article further supports this argument with empirical findings and theoretical analysis of psychedelic experiences.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
James J. Gattuso, Daniel Perkins, Simon Ruffell, Andrew J. Lawrence, Daniel Hoyer, Laura H. Jacobson, Christopher Timmermann, David Castle, Susan L. Rossell, Luke A. Downey, Broc A. Pagni, Nicole L. Galvao-Coelho, David Nutt, Jerome Sarris
Summary: Psychedelics produce vivid hallucinations and profound psychological experiences. They modulate the Default Mode Network (DMN) in the brain, which is involved in self-referencing, mind wandering, and autobiographical memories. Altered connectivity in the DMN is associated with various neuropsychiatric conditions. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how major psychedelic agents modulate the DMN and how the DMN is related to the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Otto Simonsson, Jose Carlos Bouso, Florian Kurth, Draulio B. Araujo, Christian Gaser, Jordi Riba, Eileen Luders
Summary: Research suggests potential benefits of ayahuasca in treating movement and neurodegenerative disorders, with preliminary evidence showing a thicker corpus callosum in ayahuasca users compared to controls. Further studies with larger samples and longitudinal designs are needed to confirm these findings and provide implications for future clinical research.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Review
Psychiatry
Bruno Romeo, Marianne Hermand, Amelie Petillion, Laurent Karila, Amine Benyamina
Summary: The intensity of the acute psychedelic experience was found to be the main predicting factor of response in all psychiatric and addictive disorders studied, suggesting a potential mechanism involving modulation of the serotoninergic system, default mode network (DMN) disintegration and re-integration, or anti-inflammatory effects.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Patric Plesa, Rotem Petranker
Summary: The resurgence of psychedelic research focuses on using psychedelics-assisted psychotherapy to treat mental health conditions, with current theories emphasizing the role of mystical experiences in symptom improvement. At the same time, psychedelics are increasingly used in a psychedelic culture to alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms and enhance cognitive functions. This excitement around the resurgence of psychedelics is driven by a crisis of meaning and alienation correlated with rising rates of anxiety and depression. The concept of neonihilism in a neoliberal cultural context is explored to understand modern experiences of meaninglessness and whether psychedelics combined with group therapy can provide solutions. Concrete next steps are suggested for the theory and practice of psychedelic psychotherapy, leading to neonihilistic psychedelic group psychotherapy.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
David Dupuis
Summary: The use of psychedelics in collective rituals by indigenous groups suggests their power in social affiliation, enculturation, and belief transmission. However, the increasing feelings of collective belonging and transmission of cultural values raise complex ethical questions in the current global context, especially in Euro-American societies.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Francisco Madrid-Gambin, David Fabregat-Safont, Alex Gomez-Gomez, Eulalia Olesti, Natasha L. Mason, Johannes G. Ramaekers, Oscar J. Pozo
Summary: Psychedelics are hallucinogen drugs that alter consciousness. There is renewed interest in using them for mental health disorders, but further research is needed to understand their biological effects, mechanism of action, and metabolism. Metabolic and metabolomics studies can help with this. Metabolic studies determine the drug's main metabolites, while metabolomics can shed light on the biological processes and therapeutic potential of psychedelics.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Francisco Madrid-Gambin, Alex Gomez-Gomez, Arnau Busquets-Garcia, Noemi Haro, Santiago Marco, Natasha L. Mason, Johannes T. Reckweg, Pablo Mallaroni, Lilian Kloft, Kim van Oorsouw, Stefan W. Toennes, Rafael de la Torre, Johannes G. Ramaekers, Kin Van Oorsouw, Stefan W. Toennes, Rafael De la Torre, Johannes G. Ramaekers, Oscar J. Pozo
Summary: This study investigates the human metabolomics signature after consuming the psychedelic ayahuasca and its connection to subjective effects and plasma concentrations of ayahuasca alkaloids. The results suggest a crosstalk between circulating large-neutral amino acids and subjective effects, independent of alkaloid concentrations. Dysregulation in neurotransmission pathways such as serotonin and dopamine synthesis is also observed.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2022)
Review
Psychiatry
Muhammad Ishrat Husain, Nicole Ledwos, Elise Fellows, Jenna Baer, Joshua D. Rosenblat, Daniel M. Blumberger, Benoit H. Mulsant, David J. Castle
Summary: This article reviews the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effect of serotonergic psychedelics, including their serotonin 2A agonist effects, impact on brain derived neurotrophic factor and immunomodulatory responses, and disruption of the default mode network. However, further research is needed to validate these mechanisms and determine which theories are supported by robust evidence.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ido Hartogsohn
Summary: This paper explores the formation of psychedelic effects in the context of the Santo Daime religion, emphasizing the profound impact of set and setting on psychedelic effects. The detailed description of the initiation mechanism in the Santo Daime tradition provides a template for future research.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Maria J. Arranz, Cristina Gallego-Fabrega, Ana Martin-Blanco, Joaquim Soler, Matilde Elices, Elisabet Dominguez-Clave, Juliana Salazar, Daniel Vega, Laia Briones-Buixassa, Juan Carlos Pascual
Summary: BPD patients exhibit significantly lower methylation levels in CpG sites on the X chromosome and chromosome 6 compared to healthy controls, with childhood trauma potentially exacerbating these differences. Epigenetic alterations are more frequently found in genes controlling estrogen regulation, neurogenesis, and cell differentiation, suggesting their potential contribution to BPD development and gender differences in presentation.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Neuroimaging
Frederic Sampedro, Cristina Carmona i Farres, Joaquim Soler, Matilde Elices, Carlos Schmidt, Iluminada Corripio, Elisabet Dominguez-Clave, Edith Pomarol-Clotet, Raymond Salvador, Juan C. Pascual
Summary: In this study using imaging techniques, structural brain abnormalities were found in patients with BPD, manifested as reduced GMV/Cth in prefrontal areas and increased GMV in limbic structures. These structural abnormalities were associated with clinical severity and could potentially serve as biomarkers for predicting psychotherapy response.
BRAIN IMAGING AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Juan C. Pascual, Ana Martin-Blanco, Joaquim Soler
Summary: Over the past 20 years, the pharmacological treatment of BPD outpatients in Spain has seen significant changes, particularly a decrease in benzodiazepine usage and an increase in second-generation antipsychotics. The study findings demonstrate that medication therapy is much more prevalent in patients with BPD than recommended by most clinical guidelines.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Elisabet Dominguez-Clave, Joaquim Soler, Matilde Elices, Alba Franquesa, Enric alvarez, Juan C. Pascual
Summary: Ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew from the Amazon basin, has been shown to significantly improve self-compassion and promote well-being in individuals with negative affect and other psychopathological conditions, indicating its potential therapeutic effects. Further large-scale controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings.
HUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jaime Navarrete, Rocio Herrero, Joaquim Soler, Elisabet Dominguez-Clave, Rosa Banos, Ausias Cebolla
Summary: The study validated the reliability and validity of the Spanish version of FSCRS-SF in measuring self-criticism and self-reassurance in non-clinical populations, demonstrating its usefulness as an instrument to detect changes after meditation-based interventions.
Article
Psychiatry
Joaquim Soler, Elisabet Casellas-Pujol, Isabel Fernandez-Felipe, Ana Martin-Blanco, David Almenta, Juan C. Pascual
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impact of dialectical-behavioral therapy skills training module on polypharmacy in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The results showed that patients in the skills training group had a significant reduction in the number of medications, medication load, and use of sedatives, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics.
ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Frederic Sampedro, Ignacio Aracil-Bolanos, Cristina Farres, Joaquim Soler, Carlos Schmidt, Matilde Elices, Edith Pomarol-Clotet, Raymond Salvador, Daniel Vega, Juan C. Pascual
Summary: This study investigates the role of right anterior insula (rAI) functional connectivity in modulating emotional status in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and the effects of mindfulness training on this connectivity. The results show that the functional connectivity of the rAI is associated with emotional dysregulation and deficits in mindfulness capacities in BPD patients. Psychotherapy seems to modulate this connectivity and lead to improvements in clinical variables.
PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Jorge Santos-Hermoso, Jose Luis Gonzalez-Alvarez, Juan Jose Lopez-Ossorio, Angel Garcia-Collantes, Miguel Angel Alcazar-Corcoles
Summary: High scores in psychopathy are associated with acts of violence, but are uncommon among perpetrators of femicide. This study analyzed 97 cases of femicide in Spain, finding an average PCL-R score of 14.4. Only a small percentage of perpetrators scored higher, and high scores were associated with shorter relationships, certain victim characteristics, and different types of violence.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
David Alvear, Joaquim Soler, Ausias Cebolla
Summary: This study aims to explore lay theories of mindfulness and compare them with scientific-academic and academic-Buddhist definitions. Through qualitative analysis, it was found that meditators' definitions of mindfulness share more similarities with the scientific-academic definition than the academic-Buddhist one.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Juan C. Pascual, Laia Arias, Joaquim Soler
Summary: Comorbidity between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and other mental disorders is common. Although there is no specific pharmacological treatment approved for BPD, various off-label drugs are prescribed, but there is a lack of agreement among clinical guidelines. This review provides practical recommendations for pharmacotherapy in BPD patients with comorbid disorders.
Article
Psychology
Carlos Schmidt, Laia Briones-Buixassa, Stella Nicolaou, Joaquim Soler, Juan C. Pascual, Daniel Vega
Summary: This study examined the relationship between emotion dysregulation, negative urgency, and NSSI in college students and BPD patients. The results showed that non-acceptance of emotions was associated with intrapersonal NSSI-functions, while poor emotion regulation strategies predicted NSSI-frequency only in individuals with high negative urgency.
ANALES DE PSICOLOGIA
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Manuel Gamez-Guadix, Estibaliz Mateos-Perez, Miguel A. Alcazar, Jone Martinez-Bacaicoa, Sebastian Wachs
Summary: This study aimed to analyze the stability of online grooming victimization among minors and its relationship with demographic variables, emotions of shame and guilt, and depression and anxiety symptoms. The results showed that stable victims were older, sexual minorities, born abroad, had separated or divorced parents, and had parents with lower education levels. Stable victims exhibited higher shame and guilt scores, indicating the role of these emotions in the persistence of online grooming. Overall, adolescents in the stable victim category presented more depression and anxiety symptoms.
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENCE
(2023)
Article
Criminology & Penology
Jorge Santos-Hermoso, Jose Luis Gonzalez-alvarez, Angel Garcia-Collantes, Miguel Angel Alcazar-Corcoles
Summary: Homicide followed by suicide has a low prevalence globally, but is more common in certain contexts such as intimate relationships, with perpetrators typically being older Spanish individuals who commit the act at home due to interpersonal conflicts.
JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Carlos Schmidt, Joaquim Soler, Cristina Carmona i Farres, Matilde Elices, Elisabet Dominguez-Clave, Daniel Vega, Juan Carlos Pascual
Summary: The study compared the effectiveness of mindfulness-based DBT skills training and interpersonal effectiveness-based DBT skills training in reducing BPD symptoms, with DBT-M showing greater efficacy. A serial mediation model was identified, demonstrating that reducing emotion dysregulation by increasing decentering ability is an effective mechanism of DBT-M.
Article
Psychiatry
Laia Briones-Buixassa, Italo Ali, Carlos Schmidt, Stella Nicolaou, Juan Carlos Pascual, Joaquim Soler, Daniel Vega
Summary: Research on non-suicidal self-injury has identified various risk factors, such as emotion dysregulation, negative affect, and borderline pathology, while also suggesting that metacognitive skills like decentering can have protective effects against self-injury.
PSYCHIATRIC QUARTERLY
(2021)