The psychedelic afterglow phenomenon: a systematic review of subacute effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics

Background: Classic serotonergic psychedelics have anecdotally been reported to show a characteristic pattern of subacute effects that persist after the acute effects of the substance have subsided. These transient effects, sometimes labeled as the ‘psychedelic afterglow’, have been suggested to be associated with enhanced effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions in the subacute period. Objectives: This systematic review provides an overview of subacute effects of psychedelics. Methods: Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection) were searched for studies that assessed the effects of psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, mescaline, or ayahuasca) on psychological outcome measures and subacute adverse effects in human adults between 1950 and August 2021, occurring between 1 day and 1 month after drug use. Results: Forty-eight studies including a total number of 1,774 participants were eligible for review. Taken together, the following subacute effects were observed: reductions in different psychopathological symptoms; increases in wellbeing, mood, mindfulness, social measures, spirituality, and positive behavioral changes; mixed changes in personality/values/attitudes, and creativity/flexibility. Subacute adverse effects comprised a wide range of complaints, including headaches, sleep disturbances, and individual cases of increased psychological distress. Discussion: Results support narrative reports of a subacute psychedelic ‘afterglow’ phenomenon comprising potentially beneficial changes in the perception of self, others, and the environment. Subacute adverse events were mild to severe, and no serious adverse events were reported. Many studies, however, lacked a standardized assessment of adverse effects. Future studies are needed to investigate the role of possible moderator variables and to reveal if and how positive effects from the subacute window may consolidate into long-term mental health benefits.Peer Reviewe

The psychedelic afterglow phenomenon: a systematic review of subacute effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics

Background: Classic serotonergic psychedelics have anecdotally been reported to show a characteristic pattern of subacute effects that persist after the acute effects of the substance have subsided. These transient effects, sometimes labeled as the ‘psychedelic afterglow’, have been suggested to be associated with enhanced effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions in the subacute period. Objectives: This systematic review provides an overview of subacute effects of psychedelics. Methods: Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection) were searched for studies that assessed the effects of psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, mescaline, or ayahuasca) on psychological outcome measures and subacute adverse effects in human adults between 1950 and August 2021, occurring between 1 day and 1 month after drug use. Results: Forty-eight studies including a total number of 1,774 participants were eligible for review. Taken together, the following subacute effects were observed: reductions in different psychopathological symptoms; increases in wellbeing, mood, mindfulness, social measures, spirituality, and positive behavioral changes; mixed changes in personality/values/attitudes, and creativity/flexibility. Subacute adverse effects comprised a wide range of complaints, including headaches, sleep disturbances, and individual cases of increased psychological distress. Discussion: Results support narrative reports of a subacute psychedelic ‘afterglow’ phenomenon comprising potentially beneficial changes in the perception of self, others, and the environment. Subacute adverse events were mild to severe, and no serious adverse events were reported. Many studies, however, lacked a standardized assessment of adverse effects. Future studies are needed to investigate the role of possible moderator variables and to reveal if and how positive effects from the subacute window may consolidate into long-term mental health benefits

Relax and penalize: a new bilevel approach to mixed-binary hyperparameter optimization

In recent years, bilevel approaches have become very popular to efficiently estimate high-dimensional hyperparameters of machine learning models. However, to date, binary parameters are handled by continuous relaxation and rounding strategies, which could lead to inconsistent solutions. In this context, we tackle the challenging optimization of mixed-binary hyperparameters by resorting to an equivalent continuous bilevel reformulation based on an appropriate penalty term. We propose an algorithmic framework that, under suitable assumptions, is guaranteed to provide mixed-binary solutions. Moreover, the generality of the method allows to safely use existing continuous bilevel solvers within the proposed framework. We evaluate the performance of our approach for a specific machine learning problem, i.e., the estimation of the group-sparsity structure in regression problems. Reported results clearly show that our method outperforms state-of-the-art approaches based on relaxation and roundin

Flicker light stimulation induces thalamocortical hyperconnectivity with LGN and higher-order thalamic nuclei

The thalamus is primarily known as a relay for sensory information; however, it also critically contributes to higher-order cortical processing and coordination. Thalamocortical hyperconnectivity is associated with hallucinatory phenomena that occur in various psychopathologies (e.g., psychosis, migraine aura) and altered states of consciousness (ASC; e.g., induced by psychedelic drugs). However, the exact functional contribution of thalamocortical hyperconnectivity in forming hallucinatory experiences is unclear. Flicker light stimulation (FLS) can be used as an experimental tool to induce transient visual hallucinatory phenomena in healthy participants. Here, we use FLS in combination with fMRI to test how FLS modulates thalamocortical connectivity between specific thalamic nuclei and visual areas. We show that FLS induces thalamocortical hyperconnectivity between lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), early visual areas, and proximal upstream areas of the ventral visual stream (e.g., hV4, VO1). Further, an exploratory analysis indicates specific higher-order thalamic nuclei, such as anterior and mediodorsal nuclei, to be strongly affected by FLS. Here, the connectivity changes to upstream cortical visual areas directly reflect a frequency-dependent increase in experienced visual phenomena. Together, these findings contribute to the identification of specific thalamocortical interactions in the emergence of visual hallucinations

Avaliação do perfil antropométrico e consumo alimentar adolescentes jogadores de futsal

O futsal é um esporte popular e com grande adesão entre adolescentes. O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o perfil antropométrico e o consumo alimentar de adolescentes de um clube de futsal de Curitiba, da categoria sub-15.  A amostra foi constituída de 11 adolescentes de 15 a 16 anos de idade. Os resultados apontaram que 81,8% (n=11) encontravam-se em eutrofia, em relação ao IMC (20,9 ± 1,9 kg/m²) e com percentual de gordura ótimo (14,0 ± 3,0%). No entanto, observou-se um déficit energético de 395,59 kcal em comparação com as necessidades de energia. Em relação aos macronutrientes, os carboidratos encontravam-se no limite mínimo recomendado (5,35 ± 1,79 g/kg/dia), a proteína encontrava-se acima do preconizado (1,74 ± 0,77 g/kg/dia) e os lipídios excederam a recomendação (1,2 a 1,6g/kg/dia). Quanto aos micronutrientes o ácido ascórbico apresentou consumo acima do recomendado (120 ± 83,2 mg/dia). Quanto ao cálcio, observou-se um déficit de ingestão (522 ± 464 mg/dia), o ferro foi o único micronutriente que se encontrou dentro da ingestão recomendada (13,5 ± 8,2 mg/dia) e o zinco indicou ingestão levemente deficiente (10,4 ± 7,2 mg/dia). Conclui-se que o perfil antropométrico encontra-se adequada. As distorções encontradas na ingestão alimentar demonstram a importância de uma correta orientação e acompanhamento nutricional, para que não haja prejuízos em relação ao desenvolvimento e o desempenho atlético. ABSTRACTEvaluation of anthropometric profile and dietary intake of adolescents futsal playersFutsal is a popular and widely supported among adolescent sport. This search aimed to evaluate the anthropometric profile and food consumption of who practice futsalin a club of Curitiba, the U-15. As the sample consisted of eleven adolescents of 15-16 years. The results showed that 81.8% were eutrophic with IMC (20.9 ± 1.9kg/m²) and with great percentage of (14.0 ± 3.0%) body fat. However, there was a deficit of 395.59 kcal on energy expenditure. Regarding macronutrients, carbohydrates found on the recommended lower limit (5.35 ± 1.79 g/kg/day), higher protein (1.74 ± 0.77g/kg/day) and in excess lipids rather the recommendation (1.2 a 1.6g/kg/dia). The micronutrients, ascorbic acid showed conspicuous consumption (120 ± 83.2 mg/day). Already calcium, a deficit of intake (522 ± 464 mg / day), iron was the only nutrient that is found within the recommended intake (13.5 ± 8.2 mg/day) and zinc intake showed slightly poor (10.4 ± 7.2 mg/day). It is concluded that the average anthropometric profile is adequate. The deviations found in food intake, show the importance of proper nutritional guidance and monitoring, so that no loss with respect to the development and athletic performance is optimized

Comparative Cytotoxicity of Glycyrrhiza glabra Roots from Different Geographical Origins Against Immortal Human Keratinocyte (HaCaT), Lung Adenocarcinoma (A549) and Liver Carcinoma (HepG2) Cells

Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Fabaceae), commonly known as 'liquorice', is a well-known medicinal plant. Roots of this plant have long been used as a sweetening and flavouring agent in food and pharmaceutical products, and also as a traditional remedy for cough, upper and lower respiratory ailments, kidney stones, hepatitis C, skin disorder, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, gastrointestinal ulcers and stomach ache. Previous pharmacological and clinical studies have revealed its antitussive, antiinflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective and cardioprotective properties. While glycyrrhizin, a sweet-tasting triterpene saponin, is the principal bioactive compound, several bioactive flavonoids and isoflavonoids are also present in the roots of this plant. In the present study, the cytotoxicity of the methanol extracts of nine samples of the roots of G.-glabra, collected from various geographical origins, was assessed against immortal human keratinocyte (HaCaT), lung adenocarcinoma (A549) and liver carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines using the in vitro 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazoliumbromide cell toxicity/viability assay. Considerable variations in levels of cytotoxicity were observed among various samples of G.-glabra

On the interplay between hypothermia and reproduction in a high arctic ungulate

For free-ranging animals living in seasonal environments, hypometabolism (lowered metabolic rate) and hypothermia (lowered body temperature) can be effective physiological strategies to conserve energy when forage resources are low. To what extent such strategies are adopted by large mammals living under extreme conditions, as those encountered in the high Arctic, is largely unknown, especially for species where the gestation period overlaps with the period of lowest resource availability (i.e. winter). Here we investigated for the first time the level to which high arctic muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) adopt hypothermia and tested the hypothesis that individual plasticity in the use of hypothermia depends on reproductive status. We measured core body temperature over most of the gestation period in both free-ranging muskox females in Greenland and captive female muskoxen in Alaska. We found divergent overwintering strategies according to reproductive status, where pregnant females maintained stable body temperatures during winter, while non-pregnant females exhibited a temporary decrease in their winter body temperature. These results show that muskox females use hypothermia during periods of resource scarcity, but also that the use of this strategy may be limited to non-reproducing females. Our findings suggest a trade-of between metabolically driven energy conservation during winter and sustaining foetal growth, which may also apply to other large herbivores living in highly seasonal environments elsewhere.publishedVersio