The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
July 7, 2025
Angela T H Kwan, Moiz Lakhani, Joshua D. Rosenblat et al.
2 citations
Background: Ketamine and esketamine have been reported to rapidly alleviate various parameters of suicidality, with antisuicidal effects that may be independent of their rapid-acting antidepressant effects. However, it remains unclear whether ketamine and/or esketamine are associated with the emergence or worsening of suicidality. Methods: In this global observational pharmacovigilance cohort...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
July 1, 2025
Ryan M Brudner, Erica Kaczmarek, Marc G Blainey et al.
3 citations
Background: Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is a promising treatment for various psychiatric disorders. However, the exact biological and psychological mechanisms of action of PAP remain to be determined. Examining predictors of PAP outcomes may help identify necessary processes for positive treatment outcomes. Mystical experiences are considered a key aspect of the subjective effects...
Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets
June 1, 2025
Naomi Xiao, Liyang Yin, Kayla M Teopiz et al.
5 citations
The mechanism of action of antidepressants is not fully ascertained. In addition to monoamines, disparate other effectors are also implicated in the molecular and cellular effects of chronic stress including neurogenesis, neurodifferentiation, and neuroplasticity. Evidence suggests sigma-1 receptors (S1Rs) as a putative target and possible mediator of antidepressant activity. Data from...
Psychiatry Research
May 8, 2025
Noah Chisamore, Lee Phan, Roger S McIntyre et al.
7 citations
Psychedelics have re-emerged as promising treatments for mood disorders. The current model provides a moderate-to-high dose of a psychedelic agent (e.g., psilocybin) to reliably induce an altered state of consciousness. Unfortunately, the hallucinatory effects limit the treatment's potential scalability given patients' vulnerability and extensive monitoring costs, leading to growing interest in...
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
April 16, 2025
Danica E. Johnson, Nelson B. Rodrigues, Rodrigo B. Mansur et al.
Childhood trauma is a well‐established risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD) and is often associated with attenuated response to conventional antidepressant therapies. Ketamine has emerged as an effective treatment for treatment‐resistant depression (TRD), but the impact of childhood trauma on its effectiveness remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to determine whether childhood trauma...
Journal of Affective Disorders
April 1, 2025
Angela T H Kwan, Moiz Lakhani, Kayla M Teopiz et al.
11 citations
To determine whether there is disproportionate reporting of hepatobiliary disorders in the United States (US) FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for individuals prescribed ketamine or esketamine. We identified Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) terms in the FAERS related to hepatobiliary disorders. Formulations of ketamine and esketamine were evaluated for the...
The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
March 25, 2025
Noah Chisamore, Erica Kaczmarek, Zoe Doyle et al.
1 citation
Objective: To compare changes in depression, anxiety, and suicidality symptoms after a single 25 mg oral dose of psilocybin between treatment-resistant depression participants not on antidepressants at screening to participants that discontinued antidepressant medications leading up to receiving psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP). Methods: Participants (n = 27) received at least one 25 mg...
CMAJ
March 2, 2025
Daniel T. Myran, Jennifer Xiao, Nicholas Fabiano et al.
8 citations
Background: Although clinical trials involving psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy have not observed short-term increases in the risk of death, limited data exist on mortality associated with hallucinogen use outside of controlled trial settings. We sought to determine whether people with an emergency department visit or hospital admission involving hallucinogen use were at increased risk of...
European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2025
Danica E. Johnson, Nelson B Rodrigues, Sydney Weisz et al.
Depression with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with more severe symptoms and a reduced response to traditional treatments. Although ketamine shows promise as a rapid-acting antidepressant for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), its effectiveness in patients with comorbid PTSD remains underexplored. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 134 patients...
The American journal of psychiatry
2025
Roger S McIntyre, Angela T H Kwan, Rodrigo B. Mansur et al.
23 citations
During the past decade, there has been extraordinary public, media, and medical research interest in psychedelics as promising therapeutics for difficult-to-treat psychiatric disorders. Short-term controlled trial data suggest that certain psychedelics are effective and safe in the treatment of major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder....
Psychiatry Research
2025
David C J Chen-Li, Rodrigo B. Mansur, Joshua D. Di Vincenzo et al.
6 citations
Suicidal ideation is a significant symptom associated with mood disorders. Ketamine is an emerging treatment with rapid and robust antidepressant and antisuicidal effects observed in clinical trial populations. Herein we assessed the real-world effectiveness of ketamine in ameliorating suicidality. A retroactive chart analysis of 96 adult TRD patients that received treatment in a private...
Journal of Affective Disorders
December 15, 2024
Sabrina Wong, Gia Han Le, Rodrigo B. Mansur et al.
3 citations
Persons with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), notably treatment-resistant depression (TRD), are differentially affected by type 2 diabetes mellitus and associated morbidity. Ketamine is highly efficacious in the treatment of adults living with MDD, notably TRD. Herein, we sought to determine the effect of ketamine on metabolic parameters in animal stress paradigms and human studies. We...
Psychedelic Medicine
November 18, 2024
Shakila Meshkat, Erica Kaczmarek, Zoe Doyle et al.
8 citations
Background: Bipolar II disorder (BD-II) is often associated with chronic and treatment resistant major depressive episodes. Psilocybin has shown promise for its rapid-acting antidepressant effects, though its impact on bipolar depression remains unexplored. In the present subgroup analysis of an already published trial on treatment-resistant depression (TRD), we aimed to preliminarily evaluate...
CNS Spectrums
October 31, 2024
Sabrina Wong, Gia Han Le, Angela T H Kwan et al.
10 citations
Postpartum depression (PPD), now referred to as perinatal depression, is a prevalent and debilitating mood disorder that reduces health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychosocial functioning. Esketamine, which is efficacious in adults with treatment-resistant depression and individuals with depression and suicidality, is also analgesic in pain management during childbirth labour. Herein,...
Journal of Affective Disorders
October 15, 2024
Angela T H Kwan, Joshua D. Rosenblat, Rodrigo B. Mansur et al.
13 citations
Ketamine and esketamine are increasingly prescribed in the treatment of resistant mood disorders and persons at risk of suicide. Ketamine is a drug of misuse with increasing non-therapeutic use in the general population. Herein, our aim was to determine whether ketamine and/or esketamine are disproportionately associated with reports of substance and/or alcohol misuse. Replicating a similar...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
October 3, 2024
Charles Q. Choi, Danica E. Johnson, David C J Chen-Li et al.
11 citations
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can develop after a traumatic event, causing distressing symptoms, including intrusive re-experiencing symptoms, alterations in mood and cognition, and changes in arousal and reactivity. Few treatment options exist for patients who find conventional psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy to be inaccessible, ineffective, or intolerable. We...
Journal of Affective Disorders
September 1, 2024
Angela T H Kwan, Joshua D. Rosenblat, Rodrigo B. Mansur et al.
8 citations
Ketamine and esketamine have been proven to be effective in treating adults with treatment resistant depression (TRD). Preliminary evidence indicates that, when combined with behavioral and psychological interventions, both agents may offer benefits for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Notwithstanding, concerns have been raised as to whether either...
Journal of Psychiatric Research
August 1, 2024
Noah Chisamore, Danica E. Johnson, Margery J.q. Chen et al.
21 citations
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is a promising treatment option for depression, with randomized controlled trials (RCTs) providing preliminary support for its safety and efficacy. However, there is a lack of consistency across existing treatment protocols and psychotherapeutic approaches. The objective of this review is to summarize and compare current psychotherapy methods of PAP in...
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...
Journal of Affective Disorders
July 1, 2024
Cameron N Calder, Angela T H Kwan, Kayla M Teopiz et al.
31 citations
Ketamine has been established as efficacious in adults living with Treatment-resistant Depression (TRD). Toward providing a quantifiable estimate of the clinical meaningfulness of the therapeutic benefit of ketamine, herein, we conduct a systematic review that aims to report the Number Needed to Treat (NNT) and the Number Needed to Harm (NNH). This systematic review searched Embase,...
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety
June 21, 2024
Roger S McIntyre, Rodrigo B. Mansur, Joshua D. Rosenblat et al.
7 citations
Replicated evidence indicates that ketamine and esketamine reduce measures of suicidality in persons with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). It remains uncertain whether individuals experience worsening of preexisting suicidality with either agent. The Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database was searched from 1970 and 2019 to 30 September 2023 for reports...
Journal of Affective Disorders
June 15, 2024
Gia Han Le, Sabrina Wong, Sebastian Badulescu et al.
25 citations
Electrophysiologic measures provide an opportunity to inform mechanistic models and possibly biomarker prediction of response. Serotonergic psychedelics (SPs) (i.e., psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)) and ketamine represent new investigational and established treatments in mood disorders respectively. There is a need to better characterize the mechanism of action of these agents. We...
Journal of Affective Disorders
April 1, 2024
Sabrina Wong, Angela T H Kwan, Kayla M Teopiz et al.
19 citations
Inadequate outcomes with monoamine-based treatments in depressive disorders are common and provide the impetus for mechanistically-novel treatments. Esketamine is a proven treatment recently approved for adults with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) while psilocybin is an investigational treatment. Translation of the clinical meaningfulness for these foregoing agents in adults with TRD is...
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
April 1, 2024
Nelson B Rodrigues, David C J Chen-Li, Joshua D. Di Vincenzo et al.
12 citations
Converging lines of evidence indicate that ketamine is a rapid antidepressant for individuals with treatment-resistant depression. Hitherto, no reliable a priori predictors of ketamine response have been reported. Pharmacogenetic biomarkers have yielded mixed results regarding potential candidate genes associated with ketamine's biochemistry as reliable predictors of response. No studies have...
Med (New York, N.Y.)
March 8, 2024
Joshua D. Rosenblat, Shakila Meshkat, Zoe Doyle et al.
97 citations
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) has been associated with antidepressant effects. Trials to date have typically excluded participants with complex presentations. Our aim was to determine the feasibility of PAP in a complex population, including high levels of treatment resistance in major depressive and bipolar disorder and patients with baseline suicidality and significant comorbidity....