Altered States Of Consciousness Research Articles

Autoinmune psychosis

With the advent of the description of autoimmune encephalitis by different neuronal cell-surface antibodies (anti-NMDAr, among others) and that psychosis may be the only manifestation without neurological symptoms (epilepsy, movement disorders, autonomic dysfunction, altered state of consciousness) in 6.5 % of patients, the term "autoimmune psychosis" has become remarkably interesting among researchers. In 2020, an international consensus for the description and diagnostic approach of autoimmune psychosis was created. Through this consensus, by taking different criteria into account, the definition of autoimmune psychosis was proposed at different degrees of certainty (possible, probable, and defined). The purpose of these criteria is to underpin the autoimmune origin in patients who present psychosis with atypical characteristics, thus justifying the realization of laboratory studies and complementary clinical tests (lumbar puncture, electroencephalogram, and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain); in addition, these criteria are applied in patients with psychosis without neurological symptoms that do not fully meet the criteria of autoimmune encephalitis. As in autoimmune encephalitis, the early initiation of immunotherapy has a direct impact on the functional prognosis of patients, so an early initiation of treatment must be considered in clinical scenarios of probable or definite autoimmune psychosis.

“I am no longer afraid”

“I am no longer afraid”

P.0833 Neural correlates of pharmacologically and non-pharmacologically induced altered states of consciousness

P.0833 Neural correlates of pharmacologically and non-pharmacologically induced altered states of consciousness

Joseph Smith, Thomas Paine, and Matthew 27:51b–53

Joseph Smith, Thomas Paine, and Matthew 27:51b–53

Dynamic reconfiguration of human brain networks across altered states of consciousness

Consciousness is supported by rich neuronal dynamics to orchestrate behaviors and conscious processing can be disrupted by general anesthetics. Previous studies suggested that dynamic reconfiguration of large-scale functional network is critical for learning and higher-order cognitive function. During altered states of consciousness, how brain functional networks are dynamically changed and reconfigured at the whole-brain level is still unclear. To fill this gap, using multilayer network approach and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 21 healthy subjects, we investigated the dynamic network reconfiguration in three different states of consciousness: wakefulness, dexmedetomidine-induced sedation, and recovery. Applying time-varying community detection algorithm, we constructed multilayer modularity networks to track and quantify dynamic interactions among brain areas that span time and space. We compared four high-level network features (i.e., switching, promiscuity, integration, and recruitment) derived from multilayer modularity across the three conditions. We found that sedation state is primarily characterized by increased switching rates as well as decreased integration, representing a whole-brain pattern with higher modular dynamics and more fragmented communication; such alteration can be mostly reversed after the recovery of consciousness. Thus, our work can provide additional insights to understand the modular network reconfiguration across different states of consciousness and may provide some clinical implications for disorders of consciousness.

Brain Functional Connectivity as Biomarker for Propofol-Induced Alterations of Consciousness.

Understanding neural correlates of consciousness and its alterations poses a grand challenge for modern neuroscience. Even though recent years of research have shown many conceptual and empirical advances, the evolution of a system that can track anesthesia-induced loss of consciousness is hindered by the lack of reliable markers. The work presented herein estimates the functional connectivity (FC) between 21 scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings to evaluate its utility in characterizing changes in brain networks during propofol sedation. The sedation dataset in the University of Cambridge data repository was used for analyses. FC was estimated using the debiased estimator of the squared Weighted Phase Lag Index (dWPLI2). Spectral FC networks before, during, and after sedation was considered for 5 EEG sub-bands. Results demonstrated significantly higher alpha band FC during baseline, mild and moderate sedation, and recovery stages. A striking association between frontal brain activity and propofol-sedation was also noticed. Furthermore, inhibition of frontal to parietal and frontal to occipital connections were observed as characteristic features of propofol-induced alterations in consciousness. A random subspace ensemble framework using logistic model tree as the base classifier, and 18 functional connections as features, yielded a cross-validation accuracy of 98.75% in discriminating baseline, mild and moderate sedation, and recovery stages. These findings validate that EEG-based FC can reliably distinguish altered conscious states associated with anaesthesia.

Anomalous Cognition

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the results of all meta-analyses on anomalous cognition conducted between 1989 and 2021 in order to find moderators associated with greater effect sizes. Method: We included all meta-analyses of studies related to anomalous cognition published up to 2021. Results: Our dataset, accumulated over more than 80 years of investigation, refers to 11 meta-analyses related to six different states of consciousness. The evidence clearly shows that anomalous cognition seems possible and its effects can be enhanced by using a combination of some non-ordinary or altered states of consciousness (e.g., dreaming, ganzfeld, etc.), coupled with free-response procedures, or neurophysiological dependent variables. These conditions facilitate an alternative form of cognition seemingly unconstrained by the known biological characteristics of the sense organs and the brain. Conclusion: The accumulated evidence expands our understanding of the mind-brain relation and the nature of the human mind.

Multifocal Primary Central Nervous System (CNS) Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) in a Patient with Aquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Abstract Introduction/Objective Primary CNS DLBCL is a rare entity, with an incidence of less than 0.47 per 100,000, however, in immunocompromised patients, especially those with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) infection, the incidence increases dramatically to 2-6 percent. Here we present a case of multifocal DLBCL in a young 28-year-old homeless male with untreated AIDS and polysubstance abuse. Methods/Case Report He presented to the hospital with altered state of consciousness; a Computerized Tomography (CT) scan showed three ring-enhancing masses; one in the left fronto-temporal region, the largest in the left basal ganglia and the third in the cerebellum. The main lesion was biopsied and diagnosed as DLBCL. The patient developed aspiration pneumonia and demised from respiratory failure Results (if a Case Study enter NA) NA Conclusion Coronal sections of the brain revealed a large grey-tan, soft lesion of poorly defined, irregular borders located in the left basal ganglia that measured 5 x 4 x 4 cm, extended dorsally and laterally. A similar lesion was observed in the deep left cerebral hemisphere, affecting the temporal lobe and extending rostrally into the frontal lobe, but completely separate from the tumor in the basal ganglia. A third, much smaller lesion was found in the right cerebellar hemisphere. Histologically, the tumor was composed of sheets of atypical lymphoid cells with increased nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio, increased mitotic activity, and showed scattered areas of necrosis. In the peripheral areas, tumor cells were located in the Virchow Robin space, and in more central areas they have broken into the brain parenchyma. Tumor cells were positive for CD20 and CD79a, indicating their B-cell origin. Other markers positive by immunohistochemistry were PAX5, MUM1 and BCL6 and the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) latent membrane protein (LMP). Fluorescence In situ hybridization (FISH) corroborated the presence of Eptein-Barr encoded RNAs.

Clinical and laboratory factors associated with nosocomial pneumonia in adult patients in the internal medicine department of a national hospital in Peru: A case-control study.

To determine how clinical and laboratory factors were associated with nosocomial pneumonia in adult patients hospitalized in an internal medicine department. We conducted a retrospective unmatched case-control study. We recorded clinical and epidemiological data from patients discharged from an internal medicine department of a Peruvian reference hospital, the Hospital Nacional Arzobispo Loayza, between 2016 and 2018. Bivariate and multivariate analyses (using logistic regression models) were performed to obtain crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. A P value < 0.05 was considered significant. We calculated the population attributable fraction of the significant variables. We analyzed 138 cases and 200 controls, with a mean age of 72.6 ± 17.8 years (21 to 104) for cases and 71.7 ± 15.3 years (19 to 98) for controls. The multivariate analysis indicated that severe anemia (adjusted odds ratio 9.0, confidence interval 95% 1.9 to 43.1, P = 0.01), severe hypoalbuminemia (adjusted odds ratio 4.0, confidence interval 95% 1.2 to 13.8, P = 0.03), altered state of consciousness (adjusted odds ratio 3.6, confidence interval 95% 1.6 to 8.2, P = 0.00), and prior use of antibiotics (adjusted odds ratio 6.3, confidence interval 95% 2.7 to 14.5, P = 0.00) were significantly associated with nosocomial pneumonia. The population attributable fraction found were 41.8% for altered state of consciousness, 33.2% for severe anemia, and 36.3% for severe hypoalbuminemia. Clinical and laboratory risk factors associated with nosocomial pneumonia development in adult patients hospitalized in an internal medicine department were severe anemia, severe hypoalbuminemia, altered consciousness, and previous use of antibiotics.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: characteristics, diagnostic accuracy, prognostic factors and long-term outcome in a paediatric population

Posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a rare entity among children, characterised by acute neurological symptoms and radiological findings. The role of clinical symptoms and neuroimaging in predicting the prognosis of PRES have not been well-characterised. A retrospective descriptive study of children with PRES, admitted to a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit during a 10-year period, was performed to describe its characteristics, compare the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) scan and MRI on diagnosis and identify prognostic factors on paediatric population. Sixteen cases were identified. Most patients (13; 81%) presented underlying disorders, including malignancies (5; 31%), chronic kidney disease (3; 19%) and post-transplant status (3; 19%). Hypertension (15; 94%) was the most common trigger. All patients had seizures, 9 patients (56%) altered state of consciousness, 8 (50%) headache. CT scan was performed in 15 patients (94%) and MRI in 13 (81%); 1 patient underwent only MRI. MRI allows the identification of new areas of vasogenic oedema and a correct diagnosis of PRES when CT scan was inconclusive. Two patients (13%) remained with neurological sequelae and one died. In two patients (13%) cognitive disorders (specific learning disorder, intellectual disability, motor tic disorder) were diagnosed during follow-up period. Clinical presentation was not statistically associated with outcome. Also, atypical neuroimaging (haemorrhagic and unilateral lesions) were not statistically related with poor neurological or cognitive outcome. However, prospective studies with a larger cohort are needed to establish prognostic factors of PRES in the paediatric population.

Sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on mental health and well-being in healthy ceremony attendants: A replication study

Abstract Background and aims There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the psychedelic plant tea, ayahuasca, holds therapeutic potential. Uthaug et al. (2018) demonstrated that a single dose of ayahuasca improved mental health sub-acutely and 4-weeks post-ceremony in healthy participants. The present study aimed to replicate and extend these findings. A first objective was to assess the sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on mental health and well-being in first-time and experienced users. A second aim was to extend the assessment of altered states of consciousness and how they relate to changes in mental health. Method Ayahuasca ceremony attendants (N = 73) were assessed before, the day after, and four weeks following the ceremony. Results We replicated the reduction in self-reported stress 4-weeks post ceremony, but, in contrast, found no reduction in depression. Also, increased satisfaction with life and awareness the day after the ceremony, and its return to baseline 4 weeks later, were replicated. New findings were: reduced ratings of anxiety and somatization, and increased levels of non-judging 4-weeks post-ceremony. We replicated the relation between altered states of consciousness (e.g., experienced ego dissolution during the ceremony) and mental health outcomes sub-acutely. The effects of ayahuasca did not differ between experienced and first-time users. Conclusion Partly in line with previous findings, ayahuasca produces long-term improvements in affect in non-clinical users. Furthermore, sub-acute mental health ratings are related to the intensity of the psychedelic experience. Although findings replicate and highlight the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca, this needs to be confirmed in placebo-controlled studies.

Low doses of LSD reduce broadband oscillatory power and modulate event-related potentials in healthy adults.

Classical psychedelics, including psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), are under investigation as potential therapeutic agents in psychiatry. Whereas most studies utilize relatively high doses, there are also reports of beneficial effects of "microdosing," or repeated use of very low doses of these drugs. The behavioral and neural effects of these low doses are not fully understood. To examine the effects of LSD (13 μg and 26 μg) versus placebo on resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potential (ERP) responses in healthy adults. Twenty-two healthy men and women, 18 to 35 years old, participated in 3 EEG sessions in which they received placebo or LSD (13 μg and 26 μg) under double-blind conditions. During each session, participants completed drug effect and mood questionnaires at hourly intervals, and physiological measures were recorded. During expected peak drug effect, EEG recordings were obtained, including resting-state neural oscillations in scalp electrodes over default mode network (DMN) regions and P300, N170, and P100 ERPs evoked during a visual oddball paradigm. LSD dose-dependently reduced oscillatory power across delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands during both eyes closed and eyes open resting conditions. During the oddball task, LSD dose-dependently reduced ERP amplitudes for P300 and N170 components and increased P100 latency. LSD also produced dose-related increases in positive mood, elation, energy, and anxiety and increased heart rate and blood pressure. On a measure of altered states of consciousness, LSD dose-dependently increased Blissful State, but not other indices of perceptual or sensory effects typical of psychedelic drugs. The subjective effects of the drug were not correlated with the EEG measures. Low doses of LSD produced broadband cortical desynchronization over the DMN during resting state and reduced P300 and N170 amplitudes, patterns similar to those reported with higher doses of psychedelics. Notably, these neurophysiological effects raise the possibility that very low doses of LSD may produce subtle behavioral and perhaps therapeutic effects that do not rely on the full psychedelic experience.

Navigating through the ebbs and flows of language.

Is progress in understanding the neural basis for spatial navigation relevant to the human language faculty? Not so much at the shortest scale, where movement is continuous, a recent study in the space of vowels suggests. At a much larger scale, however, that of the verbalization of run-away thoughts, a rich phenomenology appears to involve critical contributions by some of the brain structures also involved in spatial cognition. Their interactions may have to be approached with models operating at an integrated cortical level and allowing for the compositionality of multiple local attractor states. A useful window on the latching dynamics enabled by cortico-cortical interactions may be offered by altered states of consciousness. As an example, psychedelic states have been reported to alter the graph properties of functional connectivity in the cortex so as to facilitate wide-ranging trips.

EEG abnormalities in patients with delirium as a predictive biomarker of dementia with Lewy bodies

Delirium is an acute neurological dysfunction, characterized by altered conscious state, akin to fluctuating cognition. It is frequent in elderly patients when hospitalized and is characterized by an increased risk of developing dementia, especially Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). EEG Prominent posterior slow-wave activity in the pre-alpha/ theta range is a supportive biomarker for DLB diagnosis from the prodromal stage. This EEG pattern correlates with fluctuating cognition and is the electrophysiological underpinning of the so called thalamo-cortical dysrhythmia.

A 67-year-old woman with recurrent headache, migratory focal symptoms, and impaired consciousness

We present the clinical story of a 67-years-old woman with a previous diagnosis of migraine with aura developing stereotyped episodes, lasting for several hours, of focal visual, sensorimotor and aphasic neurological symptoms, and altered state of consciousness associated with a headache with migraine features.

Management of Traumatic Brain Injuries with Brain Concussion – A Review

A typical occurrence in emergency rooms is traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting from head trauma which is normally responsible for far more than 1 million visits per year. The magnitude of TBIs varies from mild, intermittent symptoms to longer periods of altered states of consciousness. The precise mechanism of concussion is indefinite. In serious brain trauma, Axon tearing is expected, but there is no evidence for this concussion process. Most concussion patients improve rapidly and entirely. Concussion management is usually supportive and some cases may need hospital admissions and ICU care according to severity of injury and related symptoms.

SCHIZOPHRENIA SPEECH MARKERS PSYCHOLINGUISTIC IDENTIFICATION ALGORITHM

In the article, the authors highlight the peculiarities of schizophrenia speech manifestations and presents an algorithm for its identification. The algorithm consists of four stages, which include the respondents’ oral and written speech analysis which considers the specifics of systemic speech indicators, associative reactions and grapheme features. The first stage features oral communication with patients, during which they are asked to answer questions about their past, general orientation in space and time, etc., which is generally consistent with the tactics of questioning, but in the projection not only on psychomental peculiarities, but on the linguistic indicators as well. This way we get an idea of the level of the patient’s general communicative competence. The results of the study are recorded in the according table. During the second stage, the authors utilize an associative experiment, the results of which are compared with the results of mentally healthy respondents and are also recorded in the table. Such comparative analysis reveals the conceptual differences between the respondents’ associative background and makes it possible to identify informative semantic segments. During the third stage, patients are asked to write a short essay about their daily routine, the most memorable day in life, which helps to determine their personal view of events, perceptions of such events, and illustrates the grapheme features of speech realizations. The results are also recorded in the table. The fourth stage involves the analysis and generalization of the results. The scientific novelty of article is that it is the first one to present a comprehensive algorithm for examining the speech of patients with schizophrenia, in particular at the level of their oral and written speech. The theoretical significance of the study is determined by the possibility of utilizing the findings in an in-depth study of speech features of patients with schizophrenia at different stages, considering the most informative language indicators, as well as in further development of pathopsycholinguistics general theory, altered consciousness states studies and other related studies. The practical value of the obtained results is determined by the possibility of utilizing them in developing methods for speech correction of mentally ill people and in the recognition of such diseases at the initial stage.

Divine Mania: Alteration of Consciousness in Ancient Greece by Yulia Ustinova

What role did altered states of consciousness play in the life of ancient Greek society? With consummate skill and scholarship, Yulia Ustinova answers this question in her book, Divine Mania: Alteration of Consciousness in Ancient Greece. It appears that the secret of the extraordinary creativity of the ancient Greeks was their receptivity to, and approval of, a particular altered state of consciousness they cultivated. Mania is the name for this but it must be qualified as “god-given.” Mania is a word that touches on a cluster of concepts: madness, ecstasy, and enthusiasm, engoddedness, to use Ustinova’s more vivid coinage. It seems a paradox that this special, strange and often quite frightening state of dissociation should be so closely linked to one of the most creative civilizations. Unlike the Roman and Egyptian, the Greek approved and recognized the value of god-inspired mania. Plato makes Socrates say in the Phaedrus that through mania we may obtain the “greatest blessings.” Whereas resistance to divine ecstasy can end in disaster, as Euripides illustrates in The Bacchants when Pentheus, a repressive authoritarian, tries to inhibit a posse of women from their ecstatic mountain dances. He is torn to shreds by his mother and her maniacal cohorts. This mindset of the ancient Greeks may have long ago petered out, but similar tendencies are constants, expressed in one form or another, throughout history.

'I Get High With a Little Help From My Friends' - How Raves Can Invoke Identity Fusion and Lasting Co-operation via Transformative Experiences.

Psychoactive drugs have been central to many human group rituals throughout modern human evolution. Despite such experiences often being inherently social, bonding and associated prosocial behaviors have rarely been empirically tested as an outcome. Here we investigate a novel measure of the mechanisms that generate altered states of consciousness during group rituals, the 4Ds: dance, drums, sleep deprivation, and drugs. We conducted a retrospective online survey examining experiences at a highly ritualized cultural phenomenon where drug use is relatively uninhibited- raves and illegal free parties. Engaging in the 4Ds at raves or free parties was associated with personal transformation for those who experienced the event as awe-inspiring, especially for people with open personalities (n = 481). Without awe, or a ritual context, indulging in the 4Ds was associated with a lack of personal growth, or anomie. A complex SEM revealed that personal transformation following awe-inspiring raves was associated with bonding to other ravers and prosocial behavior toward this group at a cost to self in a simple economic game. Bonding to humanity was not associated with these events. The findings suggest that employing the 4Ds in a ritualized environment - particularly dancing and drug use – can help build meaningful social bonds with associated positive behavioral outcomes.

Lido-OH, a Hydroxyl Derivative of Lidocaine, Produced a Similar Local Anesthesia Profile as Lidocaine With Reduced Systemic Toxicities.

Background: lidocaine is one of the most commonly used local anesthetics for the treatment of pain and arrhythmia. However, it could cause systemic toxicities when plasma concentration is raised. To reduce lidocaine’s toxicity, we designed a hydroxyl derivative of lidocaine (lido-OH), and its local anesthesia effects and systemic toxicity in vivo were quantitively investigated.Method: the effectiveness for lido-OH was studied using mouse tail nerve block, rat dorsal subcutaneous infiltration, and rat sciatic nerve block models. The systemic toxicities for lido-OH were evaluated with altered state of consciousness (ASC), arrhythmia, and death in mice. Lidocaine and saline were used as positive and negative control, respectively. The dose-effect relationships were analyzed.Results: the half effective-concentration for lido-OH were 2.1 mg/ml with 95% confident interval (CI95) 1.6–3.1 (lidocaine: 3.1 mg/ml with CI95 2.6–4.3) in tail nerve block, 8.2 mg/ml with CI95 8.0–9.4 (lidocaine: 6.9 mg/ml, CI95 6.8–7.1) in sciatic nerve block, and 5.9 mg/ml with CI95 5.8–6.0 (lidocaine: 3.1 mg/ml, CI95 2.4–4.0) in dorsal subcutaneous anesthesia, respectively. The magnitude and duration of lido-OH were similar with lidocaine. The half effective doses (ED50) of lido-OH for ACS was 45.4 mg/kg with CI95 41.6–48.3 (lidocaine: 3.1 mg/kg, CI95 1.9–2.9), for arrhythmia was 16.0 mg/kg with CI95 15.4–16.8 (lidocaine: 3.0 mg/kg, CI95 2.7–3.3), and for death was 99.4 mg/kg with CI95 75.7–124.1 (lidocaine: 23.1 mg/kg, CI95 22.8–23.4). The therapeutic index for lido-OH and lidocaine were 35.5 and 5.6, respectively.Conclusion: compared with lidocaine, lido-OH produced local anesthesia at similar potency and efficacy, but with significantly reduced systemic toxicities.