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Ayal Schaffer

7 papers in the library · 237 citations · publishing 2020-2025

Papers

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Bipolar disorder.

Lancet (London, England) July 22, 2025 Balwinder Singh, Holly A Swartz, Alfredo B Cuellar-Barboza et al. 66 citations

The hallmark of bipolar disorder is hypomania or mania, and the predominant phase of illness is depression. Affecting approximately 40 million individuals worldwide, bipolar disorder is associated with a substantial psychosocial, medical, and financial burden and increased mortality from suicide and other causes. Diagnosis can be challenging due to symptom overlap with attention-deficit...

Engaging Mood Brain Circuits with Psilocybin (EMBRACE): a study protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled and delayed-start, neuroimaging trial in depression.

Trials July 3, 2024 Joshua M. Poulin, Gregory E. Bigford, Krista L. Lanctôt et al. 3 citations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide across domains of health and cognition, affecting overall quality of life. Approximately one third of individuals with depression do not fully respond to treatments (e.g., conventional antidepressants, psychotherapy) and alternative strategies are needed. Recent early phase trials suggest psilocybin may be a safe and...

Engaging Mood Brain Circuits with Psilocybin (EMBRACE): a study protocol for a randomized, proof-of-principle, placebo-controlled and crossover, neuroimaging trial in depression

Research Square December 28, 2023 Joshua M. Poulin, Gregory E. Bigford, Krista L. Lanctôt et al. 1 citation

Abstract Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide across domains of health and cognition, affecting overall quality of life. Approximately one third of individuals with depression do not fully respond to treatments (e.g., conventional antidepressants, psychotherapy) and alternative strategies are needed. Recent early phase trials suggest psilocybin...

Proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial of single-session nitrous oxide treatment for refractory bipolar depression: Focus on cerebrovascular target engagement.

Bipolar Disorders May 1, 2023 William S H Kim, Mikaela K Dimick, Danielle Omrin et al.

There remain few efficacious treatments for bipolar depression, which dominates the course of bipolar disorder (BD). Despite multiple studies reporting associations between depression and cerebral blood flow (CBF), little is known regarding CBF as a treatment target, or predictor and/or indicator of treatment response, in BD. Nitrous oxide, an anesthetic gas with vasoactive and putative...

The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) Task Force Report: Serotonergic Psychedelic Treatments for Major Depressive Disorder

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry August 17, 2022 Joshua D. Rosenblat, Muhammad Ishrat Husain, Yena Lee et al. 58 citations

Objective Serotonergic psychedelics are re-emerging as potential novel treatments for several psychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder. The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) convened a task force to review the evidence and provide a consensus recommendation for the clinical use of psychedelic treatments for major depressive disorder. Methods A systematic...

The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) Task Force Recommendations for the Use of Racemic Ketamine in Adults with Major Depressive Disorder: Recommandations Du Groupe De Travail Du Réseau Canadien Pour Les Traitements De L’humeur Et De L’anxiété (Canmat) Concernant L’utilisation De La Kétamine Racémique Chez Les Adultes Souffrant De Trouble Dépressif Majeur

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry November 11, 2020 Jennifer Swainson, Alexander McGirr, Pierre Blier et al. 109 citations

OBJECTIVE: -methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, has demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects in patients with TRD. The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) convened a task force to review the evidence for efficacy and safety of racemic ketamine and to provide recommendations for its use in clinical practice. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted with...

Nitrous oxide as a putative novel dual-mechanism treatment for bipolar depression: Proof-of-concept study design and methodology.

Contemporary clinical trials communications September 1, 2020 Mikaela K Dimick, Danielle Omrin, Bradley J MacIntosh et al.

Depressive symptoms predominate in the course of bipolar disorder (BD) and there is an urgent need to evaluate novel application of repurposed compounds that act on pre-specified treatment targets. Several lines of reasoning suggest that nitrous oxide (N2O) is an ideal medication to study as a potential treatment and as a strategy to identify the underlying pathophysiology of bipolar...