Changes in DMN (rest > task) BOLD signal following Ayahuasca intake.

<p>Nvoxel = number of voxels in each ROI, mean and standard deviation of β-values before and after Ayahuasca ingestion (in % BOLD signal change). * Indicates significant differences after Ayahuasca (p<0.0011, corresponding to p<0.01 corrected for multiple comparisons by the number of ROI).</p><p>Changes in DMN (rest > task) BOLD signal following Ayahuasca intake.</p

Task Positive and Default Mode Networks.

<p>(A) TPN (red) and DMN (blue) masks are shown. (B) TPN and DMN were anti-correlated when the global signal was regressed out, no significant alterations are observed following Ayahuasca intake. (C) Without regression against global signal, TPN and DMN were positively correlated and no significant changes were observed after Ayahuasca ingestion.</p

Changes in functional connectivity of DMN.

<p>(A) Connectivity within the PCC/Precuneus decreased after Ayahuasca ingestion. (B) Considering only the PCC seed, we can observe that this seed drives the contribution for the decrease in DMN connectivity. Images were thresholded using a cluster corrected pcluster < 0.01 (using a voxel collection threshold of p < 0.001).</p

Demographic characteristics of groups SAD, SSA, and NSA.

<p>SAD =  social anxiety disorder; SSA =  subthreshold social anxiety; NSA =  non-socially anxious controls</p

Volumetric differences in the amygdala and hippocampus of participants with social anxiety disorder (SAD), subthreshold social anxiety (SSA), and non-anxious controls.

<p>(*) Indicate statistically significant differences between groups.</p

Mean volumes (cm³) of right and left amygdala, hippocampus, white and gray matter, and whole brain in subjects with social anxiety (SA), subthreshold social anxiety (SSA) and non-anxious healthy controls (NSA).

<p>L =  left; R =  right.</p

Effects of sodium nitroprusside in the prevention of schizophrenia-like symptoms induced by ketamine – A translational double-blind study

<div><p>Abstract Background: Recent evidence has shown improvements in schizophrenia symptoms after the infusion of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide (NO) donor. In the rat model of schizophrenia using ketamine injection, pretreatment with SNP seems to prevent behavioral changes associated with positive symptoms for up to one week. Objective: We investigated whether SNP would have preventative effects on psychogenic symptoms induced by ketamine in healthy subjects. Methods: Healthy subjects (N = 38) were assigned to distinct groups that received SNP in different doses (0.15, 0.25, and 0.5 mcg/kg/min). First, participants received an infusion of SNP or placebo over 75 minutes. After 10 minutes, they were injected for 1 minute with a bolus of 0.26 mg/kg of ketamine and a maintenance dose was started 5 minutes later, with 0.25 mg/kg/h of ketamine for 50 minutes. Results: Ketamine-induced psychopathological alterations induced were reduced by SNP, as assessed with the Brief Psychological Rating Scale. Scores in the objective subscale of the Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale were also lower in SNP sessions compared to placebo. SNP had protective effects against deterioration in facial emotion and identity recognition tasks induced by ketamine. Discussion: Our findings support the view that SNP has preventative properties against psychotic manifestations.</p></div