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Glen B. Baker

8 papers in the library · 539 citations · publishing 2011-2023

Papers

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The effects of ketamine and classic hallucinogens on neurotrophic and inflammatory markers in unipolar treatment-resistant depression: a systematic review of clinical trials.

European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience February 1, 2023 Giordano Novak Rossi, Jaime E. C. Hallak, Glen B. Baker et al. 14 citations

Although results are still preliminary, ketamine and classical hallucinogens have shown promise in recent years as novel, fast-acting antidepressants, especially for the treatment of unipolar treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Depression also seems to be related to abnormal levels of peripheral inflammatory and neurotrophic biomarkers, which may one day help to diagnose of this disorder. In...

Molecular Pathways of the Therapeutic Effects of Ayahuasca, a Botanical Psychedelic and Potential Rapid-Acting Antidepressant

Biomolecules November 2, 2022 Giordano Novak Rossi, Lorena T. L. Guerra, Glen B. Baker et al. 29 citations

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew traditionally used in indigenous and religious rituals and ceremonies in South America for its therapeutic, psychedelic, and entheogenic effects. It is usually prepared by lengthy boiling of the leaves of the bush Psychotria viridis and the mashed stalks of the vine Banisteriopsis caapi in water. The former contains the classical psychedelic...

Ayahuasca, a potentially rapid acting antidepressant: focus on safety and tolerability

Expert Opinion on Drug Safety March 18, 2022 Giordano Novak Rossi, Isabella Caroline Da Silva Dias, Glen B. Baker et al. 17 citations

There were no reports of serious AEs, indicating a relative safety of ayahuasca administration in controlled settings. Most common AEs included nausea, vomiting, headaches, and transient increases in cardiovascular measurements. Ayahuasca research is still in its infancy, especially concerning the absence of large and robust clinical trials to verify its antidepressant effects. Dose...

Hallucinogenic/psychedelic 5HT2A receptor agonists as rapid antidepressant therapeutics: Evidence and mechanisms of action

Journal of Psychopharmacology March 19, 2021 Rafael G. Dos Santos, Jaime Ec Hallak, Glen B. Baker et al. 51 citations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is among the most prevalent mental health disorders worldwide, and it is associated with a reduced quality of life and enormous costs to health care systems. Available drug treatments show low-to-moderate response in most patients, with almost a third of patients being non-responders (treatment-resistant). Furthermore, most currently available medications need...

Ketamine as an antidepressant: overview of its mechanisms of action and potential predictive biomarkers

Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology 2020 D. Matveychuk, Rejish K Thomas, Jennifer Swainson et al. 209 citations

Ketamine, a drug introduced in the 1960s as an anesthetic agent and still used for that purpose, has garnered marked interest over the past two decades as an emerging treatment for major depressive disorder. With increasing evidence of its efficacy in treatment-resistant depression and its potential anti-suicidal action, a great deal of investigation has been conducted on elucidating ketamine’s...

Ayahuasca: Psychological and Physiologic Effects, Pharmacology and Potential Uses in Addiction and Mental Illness

Current Neuropharmacology March 2, 2018 Jonathan Hamill, Jaime E. C. Hallak, Serdar Dursun et al. 179 citations

Background: Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian decoction with psychoactive properties, is made from bark of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine (containing beta-carboline alkaloids) and leaves of the Psychotria viridis bush (supplying the hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine, DMT). Originally used by indigenous shamans for the purposes of spirit communication, magical experiences, healing, and...

Effects of nitric oxide-related compounds in the acute ketamine animal model of schizophrenia

BMC Neuroscience March 5, 2015 Ludmyla Kandratavicius, Priscila Alves Balista, Daniele C. Wolf et al. 40 citations

BACKGROUND: Better treatments for schizophrenia are urgently needed. The therapeutic use of the nitric oxide (NO)-donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in patients with schizophrenia has shown promising results. The role of NO in schizophrenia is still unclear, and NO modulation is unexplored in ketamine (KET) animal models to date. In the present study, we compared the behavioral effects of pre-...

The interplay of cannabinoid and NMDA glutamate receptor systems in humans: preliminary evidence of interactive effects of cannabidiol and ketamine in healthy human subjects.

Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry January 15, 2011 Jaime E C Hallak, Serdar M Dursun, Daniel C Bosi et al.

Interactions between glutamatergic and endocannabinoid systems may contribute to schizophrenia, dissociative states, and other psychiatric conditions. Cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabinoid-1/2 (CB1/2) receptor weak partial agonist or antagonist, may play a role in the treatment of schizophrenia. This study tested the hypothesis that CBD would attenuate the behavioral effects of the NMDA receptor...