Preprints.org
July 21, 2023
Fran Hancock, Fernando E. Rosas, Mengsen Zhang et al.
16 citations
preprint
Healthy brain function requires a balance between stable integration across brain areas for coordinated activity and brief periods of desynchronization that allow subsystems to reconfigure and express specialized functions. Metastability, a concept from statistical physics and dynamical systems theory, has been proposed as a key signature of this balance. Neuroscience research has used markers of metastability to study cognitive performance, healthy aging, meditation, sleep, responses to drugs, and to characterize psychiatric conditions and disorders of consciousness. However, the term is often used heuristically or inaccurately, making the literature difficult to navigate. This paper provides a comprehensive review of metastability in neuroscience, covering its scientific and historical foundations, practical estimators, and a critical analysis of recent theoretical developments to clarify misconceptions.
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
July 5, 2025
Verina Guirguis, Sanvi Korsapathy, Francesca Pupillo et al.
6 citations
Nasal esketamine, a rapid-acting antidepressant, alters brain network activity by reducing top-down control and shifting the excitation/inhibition balance toward excitation. In eight individuals with major depressive disorder, EEG recordings before and up to 90 minutes after esketamine administration showed decreased frontoparietal alpha power and central beta power, along with increased frontal midline delta and low gamma power. The aperiodic exponent decreased, indicating cortical disinhibition. These neural changes correlated with increased subjective ratings of highness and happiness and decreased tension, linking the drug's neurophysiological effects to the immediate subjective experience.
bioRxiv Preprint Server
February 26, 2026
Angqi Li, Julio Rodriguez-Larios, Mengsen Zhang et al.
preprint
Two types of mantra meditation produce distinct brain activity patterns. Novice practitioners were randomly assigned to chant either the Hare Krishna (HK) or Sa-Ta-Na-Ma (SA) mantra. EEG measurements showed that HK meditation led to widespread decreases in alpha power and increases in alpha frequency during and after practice, suggesting a more activating, attentionally focused state. In contrast, SA meditation produced localized alpha power reduction and, after training, a significant decrease in alpha frequency, indicating a more relaxed state. Both groups reported reduced stress. These results challenge the idea that all mantra meditation is the same and underscore the need to differentiate practices for targeted mental health applications.