A simple computer-based neurocognitive training program that emphasizes self-worth can extend the antidepressant effects of ketamine for up to 30 days in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), new research suggests. The double-blind, randomized clinical trial is the first to assess combining ketamine with a low-cost protective learning program, researchers note. They add that the findings … Read more
The covered study in this summary was published in bioRxiv.org as a preprint and has not yet been peer reviewed. Key Takeaways Using the Layer-wise Relevance Propagation algorithm and various structural MRI modalities (T1-weighted, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery [FLAIR]and susceptibility-weighted magnitude images [SWI]), brain age can be estimated. The structural abnormalities found were changes in the … Read more
Patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) show altered speech patterns and content that could pinpoint symptom severity — and help predict future relapse, two new studies suggest. In the first study, an algorithm was created to analyze speech patterns and semantic content to create novel “speech networks.” Compared with their healthy peers, patients with FEP had … Read more
What causes the dramatic alterations in subjective awareness experienced during a psychedelic “trip?” A new study maps anatomical changes in specific neurotransmitter responsible systems and brain regions that may be for these effects. Investigators gathered over 6800 accounts from individuals who had taken one of 27 different psychedelic compounds. Using a machine learning strategy, they … Read more