Optimal Being

Summary:  Researchers have found that targeted electrical stimulation of the brain can temporarily increase a person’s hypnotizability, potentially allowing more individuals to benefit from hypnosis-based therapies for pain relief and other conditions. In a study involving participants with fibromyalgia, electrical stimulation delivered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex boosted hypnotizability for about an hour. The effect was achieved in less than two minutes of stimulation and was statistically significant. The findings offer a novel approach to altering stable traits and could have broader implications for enhancing responses to psychotherapy. Key Facts: Hypnotizability is a stable trait in adults, much like personality and IQ, and can influence the effectiveness of hypnosis-based therapies. Transcranial magnetic stimulation delivered targeted electrical pulses to the brain, increasing hypnotizability for a short duration. This research has potential applications in pai...

  Summary:  Withdrawal from psychostimulants including methamphetamines, cocaine, and nicotine, produced restructuring of brain regions and major increases in functional connectivity, a new mouse study reveals. Source:  UCSD Addictive psychostimulants, from nicotine in cigarettes to illicit drugs like  methamphetamine and cocaine, affect different regions of the brain. The same  is believed true during withdrawal; finding a common brain pathway has proved el usive.  In a new paper, publishing September 27, 2021 in the journal  eNeuro , a multi-institution team of researchers describe how withdrawal from nicotine, methamphetamine and cocaine altered the functional architecture and patterns in the brains of mice, compared to control animals.  They found that each drug produced a unique pattern of activity in the brain, but that mouse brains in withdrawal shared similar features. Perhaps more notably, the researchers said all psychostimulants shared ...