Prisca Rachel Bauer

Objective: Mental health conditions often co‐occur with epilepsy, causing burden and stress beyond seizures. Some of these conditions can emerge early and even predate the onset of seizure and/or epilepsy diagnosis. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on mental health outcomes in adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy (NDE). Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted up to September 2025. All quantitative studies were included without restriction to study types. Mental health outcomes included a board range of mood, anxiety, quality of life, and stigma as primary or secondary outcome measures that were assessed and reported using validated scales. Standard methodological procedures for literature search, data collection, assessment of risk of bias, and analysis were used based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guideline. Results: Twenty‐one publications ( n = 4728 adults) across 10 countries were included, of which 12 (57%) showed low risk of bias. Methodological heterogeneity precluded meta‐analysis. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were the most frequently assessed, with 11%–50% (data from 14 papers) and 25%–35% (11 papers) of NDE screened positive on validated screening tools, respectively. Structured diagnostic tools in two papers revealed clinical depression in 2.9%–13.3% and anxiety/neurotic disorders in approximately one‐quarter of NDE. The prevalence of perceived stigma was reported in 25%–53% of NDE; quality of life was impaired by mood symptom, stigma, and role disability. Significance: Mental health conditions impose a substantial early burden among adults with NDE. Managing this burden requires integrating routine screening into early care pathways as a first step, coupled with a tiered psychiatric diagnostic process. Psychoeducation on these mental health risks should also be integrated into epilepsy care to promote awareness and access to services.

This micro-phenomenological study examines altered states of consciousness (ASC) during Floatation-REST, a sensory isolation method where individuals lie in a tank filled with Epsom salt-saturated water in complete silence and darkness. Salubrious effects of Floatation-REST have been shown in persons suffering from mental health conditions; these positive outcomes might be related to the experience of ASC. Micro-phenomenological interviews were conducted with fourteen participants who completed a 60-minute Floatation-REST session, to capture the generic structure of ASC. We found that most participants experience four distinct phases during a session (diachronic structure): after an initial acclimatization phase (1), participants experience a transitional phase (2) that prepares them for a subsequent ASC phase (3), followed by a phase of temporal and spatial reorientation (4). The ASC phase is characterized by the experience of positive emotions, deep relaxation, a loss of orientation in space and time, and a reduction in bodily sensations and thoughts (synchronic structure). The characteristics of the ASC phase emerge gradually and progressively intensify. This micro-phenomenological analysis of Floatation-REST sheds new light on the potential of this therapeutic technique. We discuss possible future research and therapeutic applications of Floatation-REST.

Zusammenfassung: Die therapeutische Umwelt veränderte sich im Rahmen der Covid-19-Pandemie grundlegend. Wie hat sich dies auf die Erfahrungen der Patient*innen und Mitarbeiter*innen ausgewirkt, und was können wir daraus über die Funktion der therapeutischen Umwelt lernen? Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse von 37 leitfadengestützten Interviews mit Patient*innen (n=19) und Mitarbeiter*innen (n=18) einer psychosomatischen Universitätsklinik. Die Einschränkungen der therapeutischen Umwelt wurde als zusätzliche Belastung erlebt. Eine unterstützende, wertschätzende und solidarische Umwelt in dem Teilhabe und Verantwortung gefördert wird, wurde von Patient*innen und Mitarbeiter*innen als elementar für die Bewältigung individueller Belastungen in Krisenzeiten erlebt. Die Ergebnisse unterstreichen die zentrale Bedeutung der therapeutischen Umwelt für die Umsetzung therapeutischer Inhalte im klinischen Kontext und machen weitere Untersuchungen zur Wirksamkeit partizipativer Ansätze notwendig.

This micro-phenomenological study examines altered states of consciousness (ASC) during Floatation-REST, a sensory isolation method where individuals lie in a tank filled with Epsom salt-saturated water in complete silence and darkness. Salubrious effects of Floatation-REST have been shown in persons suffering from mental health conditions; these positive outcomes might be related to the experience of ASC. Micro-phenomenological interviews were conducted with fourteen participants who completed a 60-minute Floatation-REST session, to capture the generic structure of ASC. We found that most participants experience four distinct phases during a session (diachronic structure): after an initial acclimatization phase (1), participants experience a transitional phase (2) that prepares them for a subsequent ASC phase (3), followed by a phase of temporal and spatial reorientation (4). The ASC phase is characterized by the experience of positive emotions, deep relaxation, a loss of orientation in space and time, and a reduction in bodily sensations and thoughts (synchronic structure). The characteristics of the ASC phase emerge gradually and progressively intensify. This micro-phenomenological analysis of Floatation-REST sheds new light on the potential of this therapeutic technique. We discuss possible future research and therapeutic applications of Floatation-REST.

Körper und Geist werden oft separat betrachtet, auch in der Medizin. Neue Erkenntnisse aus der neurowissenschaftlichen Forschung weisen jedoch darauf hin, dass Körper und Geist stärker miteinander verbunden sind als bisher gedacht. In diesem Beitrag gehen wir auf die Bedeutung der sog. „Verkörperung“ (Embodiment) für die Medizin ein.

In this conceptual contribution, we argue that experimental investigations of phenomena in the cognitive sciences and consciousness research may benefit from a thorough integration of data acquired from the first-person perspective. We present a line of research from our lab applying this approach to the Libet task on voluntary action. In this well-known experimental paradigm, participants perform a movement at a moment of their own choice. Previous research has shown that this voluntary decision to perform the action is preceded by a specific pattern in the electroencephalogram, the so-called readiness potential. This finding that the decision is preceded (and presumably determined) by an action-related brain processes puts the neuroscientific account at odds with our subjective intuition and challenges the notion of free will. This discrepancy exemplifies the gap between neuro-cognitive models of the mind and the accounts of our conscious experience. The aim of our theoretical proposal is to enrich the study of volitional action by integrating reports from the first-person perspective with the Libet paradigm to develop a more coherent account. This provides an example of implementing the research program of neurophenomenology developed by Francisco Varela to overcome the gap between scientific accounts of the mind and subjective experience. Specifically, we show how this can be achieved by interweaving three methodological approaches: (i) adapting common neuro-cognitive paradigms (i.e., the Libet task); (ii) employing refined first-person methods such as the micro-phenomenological interview; and (iii) collaborating with experienced meditators as research participants. Our contribution demonstrates how the neurophenomenological framework can be used to shed new light on long-standing and fundamental debates in consciousness research. We show that this approach not only addresses questions of intellectual curiosity but also has concrete ethical implications for the practice of science itself, self-determination, and the accountability of the conscious subject. On the basis of our approach, meditation can be seen as a method for enhancing self-regulation and self-determination, which allows for more deliberate decisions and thus more ethical behavior.

Rationale: Psychedelic research re-emerged from a period of suppression into the so-called psychedelic renaissance. In parallel, most media reporting has shifted from the overstatement of the risks of psychedelics to overly positive hype. As the empirical evidence is more equivocal than frequently portrayed, the conclusions about the effectiveness of psychedelics should be considered preliminary. Poor science communication about psychedelics’ therapeutic potential may lead potential participants or patients to feel misled and policy decisions to be misinformed. An evidence-informed characterization of their risks and benefits is needed. Objectives: This article assesses the state of psychedelic research for treating depression and the effect sizes of psychedelics on therapeutic outcomes, the risk of bias, and the prevalence of adverse effects. We review research on the risks and benefits of psychedelics and discuss how the following depression treatments have shown decreasing effect sizes over time: (1) cognitive behavioral therapy, (2) mindfulness interventions, (3) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and (4) ketamine. We speculate that a similar trend may occur for psychedelic treatments. Results and conclusions: It is likely that larger and better-controlled psychedelic trials will demonstrate smaller effect sizes that are more comparable to other conventional and emerging treatments for mood disorders. Clear science communication is critical for setting public expectations and psychedelic policy. With this evidence-based assessment, we aim to cut through the misinformation about the benefits, risks, and future prospects of psychedelic treatments.

Introduction: Mental health comorbidities such as depression and anxiety are common in epilepsy, especially among people with pharmacoresistant epilepsy who are candidates for epilepsy surgery. The Psychology Task Force of the International League Against Epilepsy advised that psychological interventions should be integrated into comprehensive epilepsy care. Methods: To better understand the psychological impact of epilepsy and epileptic seizures in epilepsy surgery candidates, we analysed interviews with this subgroup of patients using Karl Jaspers’ concept of limit situations, which are characterised by a confrontation with the limits and challenges of life. These are especially chance, randomness, and unpredictability, death and finitude of life, struggle and self-assertion, guilt, failure, and falling short of one’s aspirations. Results: In 43 interviews conducted with 15 people with drug-resistant epilepsy who were candidates for epilepsy surgery, we found that these themes are recurrent and have a large psychosocial impact, which can result in depression and anxiety. For some people, epileptic seizures appear to meet the criteria for traumatic events. Conclusion: Understanding epilepsy and seizures as existential challenges complements the neurobiological explanations for psychological comorbidities and can help tailor psychological interventions to the specific needs of people with epilepsy, especially those who are candidates for surgical treatment.