Current Pain and Headache Reports
April 21, 2026
Navy C Coggins, Hanson A Chokr, Tricia A Meyer et al.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Ketamine was originally developed as a dissociative anesthetic and has remained a valuable agent in anesthesia related to its ability to preserve airway reflexes and relative hemodynamic stability. Over time, its clinical applications have expanded beyond procedural sedation to include roles in pain management and psychiatry. In pain medicine, the therapeutic rationale is...
Current Pain and Headache Reports
December 15, 2025
Alan D. Kaye, Madison C Wolf, Sarah I Dufour et al.
2 citations
Chronic pain and opioid use disorder (OUD) are highly prevalent and frequently co-occurring conditions that pose complex treatment challenges. While opioids are effective for pain management, prolonged use significantly enhances risk of developing substance dependence. Conversely, addiction-focused therapies often fail to relieve persistent somatic pain. Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)...
Psychopharmacology Bulletin
August 12, 2025
Dustin Latimer, Michael D. Stocker, Kia Sayers et al.
10 citations
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become one of the most common psychiatric diagnosis in the United States specifically within the veteran population. The current treatment options for this debilitating diagnosis include trauma-focused psychotherapies along with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). 1 MDMA has recently...
Current Pain and Headache Reports
January 14, 2025
Alan D. Kaye, Brynne E Tynes, Coplen D Johnson et al.
6 citations
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a neuropathic pain disorder characterized by pain disproportionate to the inciting event that is constant for an extended duration. Numerous treatment options for this condition have been explored with unsatisfactory results in many cases. Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist typically used as an anesthetic and analgesic, presents...
Pain Medicine
December 10, 2024
Christopher L. Robinson, Pawan Solanki, S Snyder et al.
Known for their capacity to alter perception and consciousness, psychedelics are increasingly being explored for therapeutic applications in treating conditions such chronic pain, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.1,2 Despite historical stigmas and legal restrictions, recent changes in legislation and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognition...
Neurology International
March 28, 2023
Amber N. Edinoff, Saveen Sall, Colby B. Koontz et al.
5 citations
While driving under the influence of drugs, drivers are more likely to be involved in and cause more accidents than drivers who do not drive under the influence. Ketamine is derived from phencyclidine and acts as a noncompetitive antagonist and allosteric modulator of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Ketamine has been used to treat a variety of psychiatric disorders, with the most notable being...
Health Psychology Research
October 6, 2022
Amber N. Edinoff, Natalie W. Wu, Bryce Bonin et al.
11 citations
Even as prescription opioid dispensing rates have begun to decrease, the use of illicit opioids such as heroin and fentanyl has increased. Thus, the end of the opioid epidemic is not in sight, and treating patients that are addicted to opioids remains of utmost importance. Currently, the primary pharmacotherapies used to treat opioid addiction over the long term are the opioid antagonist...
Neurology International
June 23, 2022
Islam Mohammad Shehata, Waniyah Masood, Nouran Nemr et al.
41 citations
Depression is a leading cause of disability globally, with a prevalence of 3.8% among the whole population, 5% of the adult population, and 5.7% of the elderly population over 60 years of age. There is evidence that depression is linked to certain neurodegenerative diseases, one being Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The efficacy of conventional antidepressants to treat depression in AD is...
Neurology International
May 18, 2022
Amber N. Edinoff, Juliana M. Fort, Christina Singh et al.
15 citations
With emerging information about the potential for morbidity and reduced life expectancy with long-term use of opioids, it is logical to evaluate nonopioid analgesic treatments to manage pain states. Combinations of drugs can provide additive and/or synergistic effects that can benefit the management of pain states. In this regard, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) modulate...
Health Psychology Research
June 22, 2021
Sahar Derakhshanian, Maxine Zhou, Alexander Rath et al.
21 citations
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This is a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the use of ketamine as a treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). It covers the epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, and current treatment modalities regarding Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and TRD. It provides background on the mechanism of action of ketamine, its history, current approved and...