Modulation of GABA and glutamate by ketamine in depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies.
Neuropsychopharmacology September 21, 2026 Balwinder Singh, Hossam M Ali, Alessandro Miola et al.
Disrupted excitation-inhibition (E/I) balance involving GABA and glutamate (Glu) is implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist with rapid antidepressant properties, may modulate this balance, yet proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) studies report inconsistent findings regarding the direction, magnitude, and timing of neurochemical effects....