ABSTRACT Introduction Pharmacotherapy of depression is characterized by the delayed onset of action, chronic treatment requirements, and insufficient effectiveness. Ketamine, with its rapid action and long-lasting effects, represents a breakthrough in the modern pharmacotherapy of depression. Areas covered The current review summarizes the latest findings on the mechanism of the antidepressant...
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) modulators induce rapid and sustained antidepressant like-activity in rodents through a molecular mechanism of action that involves the activation of Ca2+ dependent signaling pathways. Moreover, ketamine, a global NMDAR antagonist is a potent, novel, and atypical drug that has been successfully used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD). However, because...
PsychopharmacologyJune 11, 2016K. Podkowa, Bartłomiej Pochwat, P. Brański et al.
Numerous preclinical and clinical studies have reported the rapid and sustained antidepressant effects of the NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine. Because ketamine induces several undesirable and dangerous effects, a variety of strategies have been suggested to avoid such effects. Here, we propose to enhance the sub-effective doses of ketamine by co-administration with the group II metabotropic...