Monitoring Alzheimer's disease via ultraweak photon emission.

In an innovative experiment, we detected ultraweak photon emission (UPE) from the hippocampus of male rat brains and found significant correlations between Alzheimer's disease (AD), memory decline, oxidative stress, and UPE intensity. These findings may open up novel methods for screening, detecting, diagnosing, and classifying neurodegenerative diseases, particularly AD. The study suggests that UPE from the brain's neural tissue can serve as a valuable indicator. It also proposes the development of a minimally invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) photonic chip for monitoring and diagnosing AD, offering high spatiotemporal resolution of brain activity. The study used a rodent model of sporadic AD, demonstrating that STZ-induced sAD resulted in increased hippocampal UPE, which was associated with oxidative stress. Treatment with donepezil reduced UPE and improved oxidative stress. These findings support the potential utility of UPE as a screening and diagnostic tool for AD and other neurodegenerative diseases.

A possible key role of vision in the development of schizophrenia.

Based on a brief overview of the various aspects of schizophrenia reported by numerous studies, here we hypothesize that schizophrenia may originate (and in part be performed) from visual areas. In other words, it seems that a normal visual system or at least an evanescent visual perception may be an essential prerequisite for the development of schizophrenia as well as of various types of hallucinations. Our study focuses on auditory and visual hallucinations, as they are the most prominent features of schizophrenic hallucinations (and also the most studied types of hallucinations). Here, we evaluate the possible key role of the visual system in the development of schizophrenia.

Phosphenes, retinal discrete dark noise, negative afterimages and retinogeniculate projections: A new explanatory framework based on endogenous ocular luminescence.

Cellular luminescence is the emission of photons by living cells due to various biophysical and biochemical processes, mostly associated with cellular metabolism. In this review paper we summarize today's understanding of four luminescence-dependent phenomena in the eye, i.e., phosphenes, retinal discrete dark noise, negative afterimages and the development of retinogeniculate projections in the brain. We review the phenomena above in the context of knowledge gained from experimental and theoretical works. Finally, we discuss this knowledge in terms of its physiological significance.

Factors affecting quality of life in Hungarian adults with epilepsy: A comparison of four psychiatric instruments.

PURPOSE: We investigated the impact of 19 factors on life quality in Hungarian patients with epilepsy. Wellbeing was evaluated by several inventories to investigate the impact of factors in more detail. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in 170 patients. Wellbeing was evaluated with the WHO-5 Well-being Index (WHOQOL-5), Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale (SwLS), and the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 Questionnaire (Qolie-31). We investigated their association with demographic characteristics, general health status, epilepsy, and its treatment. The impact of these factors on illness perception (Illness Perception Questionnaire, IPQ) was also studied. RESULTS: The four measures correlated highly significantly. In addition, the predictive power of factors was comparable with the four inventories as evaluated by Multiple Regression. Factors explained 52%, 41%, 63% and 46% in the variance of WHOQOL-5, SwLS, Qolie-31, and IPQ scores, respectively. However, associations with particular factors were instrument-specific. The WHOQOL-5 was associated with factors indicative of general health. SwLS scores were associated with health-related and several demographic factors. Neither showed associations with epilepsy-related factors. All four categories of factors were associated with Qolie-31 and IPQ scores. Factors had an additive impact on IPQ, but not on Qolie-31. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings reveal interactions between the method of life quality assessment and the factors that are identified as influencing life quality. This appears to be the first study that analyses the factors that influence illness perception in epilepsy patients, and suggests that the IPQ may become a valuable tool in epilepsy research.

Possible role of biochemiluminescent photons for lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-induced phosphenes and visual hallucinations.

Today, there is an increased interest in research on lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) because it may offer new opportunities in psychotherapy under controlled settings. The more we know about how a drug works in the brain, the more opportunities there will be to exploit it in medicine. Here, based on our previously published papers and investigations, we suggest that LSD-induced visual hallucinations/phosphenes may be due to the transient enhancement of bioluminescent photons in the early retinotopic visual system in blind as well as healthy people.

Phosphene perception is due to the ultra-weak photon emission produced in various parts of the visual system: glutamate in the focus.

Phosphenes are experienced sensations of light, when there is no light causing them. The physiological processes underlying this phenomenon are still not well understood. Previously, we proposed a novel biopsychophysical approach concerning the cause of phosphenes based on the assumption that cellular endogenous ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) is the biophysical cause leading to the sensation of phosphenes. Briefly summarized, the visual sensation of light (phosphenes) is likely to be due to the inherent perception of UPE of cells in the visual system. If the intensity of spontaneous or induced photon emission of cells in the visual system exceeds a distinct threshold, it is hypothesized that it can become a conscious light sensation. Discussing several new and previous experiments, we point out that the UPE theory of phosphenes should be really considered as a scientifically appropriate and provable mechanism to explain the physiological basis of phosphenes. In the present paper, we also present our idea that some experiments may support that the cortical phosphene lights are due to the glutamate-related excess UPE in the occipital cortex.

Endogenous spontaneous ultraweak photon emission in the formation of eye-specific retinogeniculate projections before birth.

In 1963, it was suggested [Sperry, R.W. (1963). Chemoaffinity in the orderly growth of nerve fiber patterns and connections. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 50, 703-710.] that molecular cues can direct the development of orderly connections between the eye and the brain (the "chemoaffinity hypothesis"). In the same year, the amazing degree of functional accuracy of the visual pathway in the absence of any external light/photon perception prior to birth [Wiesel, T.N and Hubel, D.H. (1963). Single-cell responses in striate cortex of kittens deprived of vision in one eye. J. Neurophysiol. 26, 1003-1017.] was discovered. These recognitions revealed that the wiring of the visual system relies on innate cues. However, how the eye-specific retinogeniculate pathway can be developed before birth without any visual experience is still an unresolved issue. In the present paper, we suggest that Müller cells (functioning as optical fibers), Müller cell cone (i.e. the inner half of the foveola that is created of an inverted cone-shaped zone of Müller cells), discrete retinal noise of rods, and intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells might have key functions by means of retinal spontaneous ultraweak photon emission in the development of eye-specific retinogeniculate pathways prior to birth.

Challenges to free will: transgenerational epigenetic information, unconscious processes, and vanishing twin syndrome.

Here, we present various research results and thoughts with the intention of challenging notions about free choice. Namely, we describe the concept of transgenerational transmission of epigenetic information and discuss its non-conscious effects on cognitive abilities, behavioral and emotional patterns, and responses with regard to one's life and decisions, and the impact these have on the concept of free will. In addition, we discuss the essential role of unconscious mechanisms in human decision processes. We also show that twin loss in the womb can have a powerful lifelong impact on the surviving twin through non-conscious context-dependent epigenetic changes. Finally, we hypothesize that human explicit self-consciousness may be an active executer that intermediates between unconsciousness and the external environment by means of feedback and feed-forward interactions. This executive function makes it possible for self-consciousness to continuously develop in self-organized evolution.

[Body-mind unity in tandem hypnotherapy]. / Test-lélek egység a tandem hipnoterában.

INTRODUCTION: The new bodymind theory describes unity of body and mind as a quantum process, which can go back to embryonic period of life. METHOD: Authors have worked out tandem hypnotherapy method regarding bodymind theory. Tandem has two meanings: (1) a multi-seater bicycle, (2) a mosaic word: Touch of Ancient and New generations with a Dialogue Experiencing Oneness of Minds (TANDEM). Hypnotherapy, psychodrama, family therapy, Hellinger's systemic-phenomenological approach, and, the holding-therapy can be viewed as precedents of the method. More than two persons in a physical closeness touching each other take part in therapy: (1) patient(s), (2) one or more co-therapists; one or more antagonists (in the latter case is of hypnodrama), (3) therapist, who is responsible to take the tandem of patient(s) and co-therapist(s) to trance, while (s)he keeps distance securing neutrality. RESULTS: The method will be illustrated with some case-vignettes. DISCUSSION: Sensory-motor level of development is supposed by the authors as stemmed from fetal period of life. It is suggested to be paralled to associative mode of experiencing, in which object and subject can't be viewed as differenciated from each other resulting unity or oneness experience. The most effective stimulus of associative mode of experiencing is regarded to be physical closeness and touching, which are seen in intimate situations. That is the reason why fundamental rules of therapeutic touching are to be kept. CONCLUSION: The new method can be viewed as a form of bodypsychotherapy having possibilities to resolve pathological consequences of either fetal or intergenerational traumas.