Psychological Medicine
May 8, 2026
Lou-Anne Chavigny, Véronique Desbeaumes Jodoin, Nicolas Garel et al.
Intravenous (IV) low-dose ketamine has emerged as a promising treatment for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, its impact on cognitive functioning remains unclear. This systematic review examines the cognitive and executive effects of IV ketamine in TRD, focusing on their relationship to depressive and suicidal outcomes. A systematic search of Cochrane, MEDLINE,...
The British Journal of Psychiatry
June 18, 2025
Kyle T. Greenway, Nicolas Garel, Lê-Anh Dinh-Williams et al.
8 citations
Background Ketamine exerts potent but transient antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Combinations of ketamine and psychotherapy have attracted interest, but no trial has investigated a psychedelic model of ketamine–psychotherapy for TRD to our knowledge. Aims This secondary analysis of a randomised clinical trial (RCT) explores the therapeutic effects and experiential...
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
November 1, 2023
Nicolas Garel, Kyle T. Greenway, Lê-Anh Dinh-Williams et al.
10 citations
We present the first evidence that sub-anesthetic ketamine infusions for treatment resistant depression (TRD) may facilitate deprescription of long-term benzodiazepine/z-drugs (BZDRs). Long-term BZDR prescriptions are potentially harmful yet common, partly because of challenging withdrawal symptoms. Few pharmacological interventions have evidence for facilitating BZDR discontinuation, and none...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 19, 2023
Nicolas Garel, Jessica Drury, Julien Thibault Lévesque et al.
32 citations
Background Subanesthetic ketamine has accumulated meta-analytic evidence for rapid antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), resulting in both excitement and debate. Many unanswered questions surround ketamine’s mechanisms of action and its integration into real-world psychiatric care, resulting in diverse utilizations that variously resemble electroconvulsive therapy,...
International Clinical Psychopharmacology
April 23, 2021
Kyle T. Greenway, Nicolas Garel, Nathalie Goyette et al.
12 citations
Intravenous ketamine is an effective treatment of bipolar depression. One of its most important side-effects is a transient altered state of consciousness commonly referred to as dissociation. These states can be anxiety-provoking, distressing and even treatment-limiting, warranting research into mitigation strategies. In this article, we present two cases that demonstrate the potential of...
BMC Psychiatry
June 2, 2020
J. Phillips, N. Jaworska, Elizabeth Kamler et al.
22 citations
Background Recent evidence underscores the utility of rapid-acting antidepressant interventions, such as ketamine, in alleviating symptoms of major depressive episodes (MDE). However, to date, there have been limited head-to-head comparisons of intravenous (IV) ketamine infusions with other antidepressant treatment strategies in large randomized trials. This study protocol describes an ongoing...
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
February 20, 2020
Gustavo C. Leal, Igor D. Bandeira, Fernanda S. Correia-Melo et al.
257 citations
We aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of arketamine, the R (−)-enantiomer of ketamine, for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in humans. Open-label pilot trial, seven subjects with TRD received a single intravenous infusion of arketamine (0.5 mg/kg); primary outcome was change in Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) 24 h after. Mean MADRS dropped from 30.7 before infusion...
Journal of Affective Disorders
November 14, 2019
Fernanda S. Correia-Melo, Gustavo C. Leal, Flávia Vieira et al.
188 citations
BACKGROUND Ketamine and its enantiomers have recently been highlighted as one of the most effective therapeutic options in refractory depression. However, racemic ketamine and esketamine have not been directly compared. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of esketamine compared to ketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). METHODS This is a...
Medicine
September 1, 2018
Fernanda S. Correia-Melo, Gustavo C. Leal, Michelle S. Carvalho et al.
61 citations
INTRODUCTION: The use of ketamine as an option in the treatment of depressive disorder is growing rapidly, supported by numerous clinical trials attesting its efficacy and safety. Esketamine, the S (+) enantiomer of ketamine, is the most widely used form in the anesthetic environment in some countries, and new studies have shown that it may also be effective in depression and with better...