Skip to content

Elias Dakwar

8 papers in the library · 727 citations · publishing 2009-2023

Papers

Sort Most recent Most cited

The role of non-ordinary states of consciousness occasioned by mind-body practices in mental health illness.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 15, 2023 Silvia J. Franco-Corso, Kate Y O'Malley, Saleena Subaiya et al. 12 citations

Research with hallucinogens suggests that non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSCs), particularly mystical-type experiences, predict improvements in various affective disorders and substance use disorders (SUDs). Little is known, however, about the therapeutic potential of NOSCs induced by mind-body practices such as meditation, yoga and breathwork. We conducted a literature review in online...

Mystical-type experiences occasioned by ketamine mediate its impact on at-risk drinking: Results from a randomized, controlled trial.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) February 1, 2021 Rebecca L Rothberg, Nour Azhari, Nancy A Haug et al. 95 citations

Sub-anesthetic ketamine administration may be helpful for substance use disorders. Converging evidence suggests that the efficacy of ketamine for certain conditions may implicate a subset of its psychoactive effects. The aim of this analysis is to evaluate whether the mystical-type effects of ketamine are critical for clinical efficacy in alcohol-dependent individuals. In this secondary...

A Single Ketamine Infusion Combined With Motivational Enhancement Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Midazolam-Controlled Pilot Trial.

American Journal of Psychiatry December 2, 2019 Elias Dakwar, Frances R. Levin, C. Hart et al. 179 citations

OBJECTIVE Pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatments for alcohol use disorder are limited in their effectiveness, and new treatments with innovative mechanisms would be valuable. In this pilot study, the authors tested whether a single subanesthetic infusion of ketamine administered to adults with alcohol dependence and engaged in motivational enhancement therapy affects drinking outcomes....

A Single Ketamine Infusion Combined With Mindfulness-Based Behavioral Modification to Treat Cocaine Dependence: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

American Journal of Psychiatry June 24, 2019 Elias Dakwar, E. Nunes, C. Hart et al. 179 citations

OBJECTIVE Research has suggested that subanesthetic doses of ketamine may work to improve cocaine-related vulnerabilities and facilitate efforts at behavioral modification. The purpose of this trial was to test whether a single ketamine infusion improved treatment outcomes in cocaine-dependent adults engaged in mindfulness-based relapse prevention. METHODS Fifty-five cocaine-dependent...

A sub-set of psychoactive effects may be critical to the behavioral impact of ketamine on cocaine use disorder: Results from a randomized, controlled laboratory study.

Neuropharmacology November 1, 2018 Elias Dakwar, Edward V. Nunes, Carl L. Hart et al. 83 citations

Efforts to translate sub-anesthetic ketamine infusions into widespread clinical use have centered around developing medications with comparable neurobiological activity, but with attenuated psychoactive effects so as to minimize the risk of behavioral toxicity and abuse liability. Converging lines of research, however, suggest that some of the psychoactive effects of sub-anesthetic ketamine may...

Therapeutic infusions of ketamine: Do the psychoactive effects matter?

Drug and Alcohol Dependence January 15, 2014 Elias Dakwar, C. Anerella, Carl L. Hart et al. 125 citations

Background Sub-anesthetic ketamine infusions may benefit a variety of psychiatric disorders, including addiction. Though ketamine engenders transient alterations in consciousness, it is not known whether these alterations influence efficacy. This analysis evaluates the mystical-type effects of ketamine, which may have therapeutic potential according to prior research, and assesses whether these...

The emerging role of meditation in addressing psychiatric illness, with a focus on substance use disorders.

Harv Rev Psychiatry 2009 Elias Dakwar, Frances R. Levin 53 citations

Over the past 30 years the practice of meditation has become increasingly popular in clinical settings. In addition to evidence-based medical uses, meditation may have psychiatric benefits. In this review, the literature on the role of meditation in addressing psychiatric issues, and specifically substance use disorders, is discussed. Each of the three meditation modalities that have been most...