Virtual reality interventions in the assessment and treatment of alcohol use disorder - a systematic scoping review on methodology.

Background: Virtual reality (VR) technology has been increasingly employed to develop innovative treatments for Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and overcome limitations of currents therapies. However, previous research in this field has yielded inconclusive results. To improve the quality and comparability of studies, a critical analysis of the research methodology employed in this field is necessary.

Applying a mobile intervention for chronic insomnia in routine care: Study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Unlabelled: Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia. However, access to in-person CBT-I remains limited due to a shortage of trained providers and structural barriers. Digital CBT-I (dCBT-I) offers a scalable solution to bridge this treatment gap, yet real-world evidence of its effectiveness remains limited.

Impact of cybersickness and presence on treatment satisfaction and clinical outcomes in virtual reality-based biofeedback for depression and anxiety.

Virtual Reality-Biofeedback (VR-BF) has emerged as a novel digital intervention for reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms. This study aimed to assess the relationship between cybersickness, presence, treatment satisfaction, and symptom change following VR-BF. In this prospective clinical study, 80 drug-naive adults were enrolled and classified into two groups: those with subclinical depressive and anxiety symptoms (n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 40).

A Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Digital Intervention for Reducing Hazardous Alcohol Use in South Korea: Development and Prospective Pilot Study.

Background: Alcohol consumption is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, associated with numerous acute and chronic medical conditions. Digital health interventions offer a promising solution to overcome barriers associated with traditional treatment methods, providing accessible, scalable, and cost-effective means to support individuals in reducing hazardous drinking.

Objective: This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the Sober smartphone app in individuals with hazardous alcohol use.

From guidelines to bedside - insomnia treatment practices in South Korea: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: Insomnia is a prevalent disorder that impacts quality of life and leads to significant economic costs. Treatment includes both non-medication and pharmacological interventions, with international guidelines recommending cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first-line treatment.

Objective: To describe current insomnia treatment practices in South Korea, focusing on pharmacological and non-medication treatments, and to identify gaps in guideline implementation.

Cannabis use during the early COVID-19 pandemic: Use patterns, predictors, and subjective experiences.

Background: Even in the early stages, global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic lead to serious dislocations of social life, secondary adjustment reactions to external restrictions and individual concerns. Coping mechanisms may also include dysfunctional strategies like an increase of drug use. Considering the wide-spread use of cannabis, the aim of this study was to elucidate the interplay of social restrictions, psychopathology, concerns related to the pandemic in addition to the users' experiences, motivations and consumption quantities during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

No party, no drugs? Use of stimulants, dissociative drugs, and GHB/GBL during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is presumably having an impact on the consumption of psychoactive substances. Social distancing and lockdown measures may particularly affect the use of "party drugs" (e.g.

Psychedelic Experiences During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From an International Online Survey.

The current corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a serious global health crisis that has affected large parts of the public and private life worldwide, including the use of psychoactive substances. In this study, we investigated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of serotonergic psychedelics, i.e.

Predictors of Alcohol Consumption Among Younger Adults During the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic may lead to negative mental health effects but the effect on alcohol consumption among younger adults is unclear. We assess predictors of change in alcohol consumption during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic among younger adults. This cross-sectional internet-based survey was part of an overarching project, the Corona Drug Survey, which was conducted from April 30 to August 4, 2020.

Propofol Modulates Early Memory Consolidation in Humans.

Maintenance of memory across time is crucial for adaptive behavior. Current theories posit that the underlying consolidation process depends on stabilization of synapses and reorganization of interactions between hippocampus and neocortex. However, the temporal properties of hippocampal-neocortical network reconfiguration during consolidation are still a matter of debate.

Musical memory and hippocampus revisited: Evidence from a musical layperson with highly selective hippocampal damage.

The role of the human hippocampus for musical memory is still unclear. While imaging studies in healthy humans have repeatedly shown hippocampal activation in musical memory tasks, studies in musicians with chronic bilateral medial temporal lobe damage and in non-musicians suffering from neuro-degenerative diseases suggest that musical memory may at least partly be independent of hippocampal integrity. Here, we report on a musical layperson who acutely developed an amnesic syndrome in the context of autoimmune encephalitis.