The dissociative effects of ketamine and psychedelics might be associated with their rapid antidepressant properties, raising questions about whether these effects are necessary for their therapeutic action. Additionally, the distinct dissociative experiences often reported by patients in clinical trials may reveal whether they receive an active treatment or a placebo, potentially introducing...
Ketamine (KET) is recognized as rapid-acting antidepressant, but its mechanisms of action remain elusive. Considering the role of endocannabinoids (eCB) in stress and depression, we investigated if S-KET antidepressant effects involve the regulation of the eCB system using an established rat model of depression based on selective breeding: the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) and their controls,...
Abstract Background Recent preclinical and clinical studies have shed light on the possible impact of sex and estrous/menstrual cycle on ketamine’s antidepressant action but with incongruous results. The preclinical studies that have shown the effects of ovarian sex hormones have not done so in animal models of depression. Thus, the aim of the present study is to scrutinize the acute behavioral...