How do serotonergic psychedelics treat depression: The potential role of neuroplasticity
World Journal of Psychiatry June 19, 2021 Hewa Artin, S. Zisook, D. Ramanathan
Ketamine and serotonergic psychedelics show promise as rapid-acting antidepressants, but their mechanisms remain unclear. This review examines how depression, classic antidepressants, ketamine, and serotonergic psychedelics affect markers of neuroplasticity across cellular, molecular, electrophysiological, functional, structural, and psychological levels. The goal is to explore whether neuroplasticity plays a role in how serotonergic psychedelics produce their therapeutic effects. Classic antidepressants take weeks to months to work and are ineffective for many patients, prompting interest in novel treatments. Ketamine has demonstrated clinically promising results and contributed to new explanatory models of depression involving neuroplasticity.