Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
September 7, 2026
Sabrina Wong, Gia Han Le, Simryn Selby et al.
Extant literature indicates mitochondrial dysfunction may contribute to the pathophysiology of depressive disorders. Preclinical data indicate that anesthetic doses of ketamine are associated with deficits in mitochondrial viability and function. Ketamine and esketamine have demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects in persons with difficult-to-treat depressive disorders. Herein, we aim to...
JAMA Psychiatry
September 2, 2026
Diana K. Orsini, Sara Di Luch, George Tomlinson et al.
Importance Antidepressant efficacy of intravenous (IV) ketamine has been demonstrated in major depressive disorder; however, the efficacy and safety of ketamine for bipolar depression remain largely unknown, with limited data available in this specific population. Objective To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of adjunctive IV ketamine compared with midazolam for...
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
June 24, 2026
Shreya Vasudeva, Gabrielle F. M. Lovell, Sabrina Wong et al.
Ketamine has emerged as a promising rapid-acting treatment for mood disorders and suicidality. Notwithstanding its replicated antidepressant efficacy, ketamine-associated risk for abuse, dependence, and misuse remain. We conducted a systematic review of clinical and preclinical studies from database inception to August 2025, including randomized and observational trials, open-label extensions,...
JAMA Psychiatry
April 15, 2026
Diana Orsini, Sabrina Wong, Sara Di Luch et al.
4 citations
Importance: Psychedelic drugs possess acute psychoactive effects that can compromise blinding integrity in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Functional unblinding, when participants or raters correctly identify treatment allocation based on subjective effects, may bias outcomes through expectancy effects, challenging the validity of efficacy estimates and regulatory acceptance. Objective: To...
Journal of Affective Disorders
April 15, 2026
Gia Han Le, Sabrina Wong, Danica E. Johnson et al.
4 citations
Ketamine and esketamine exhibit rapid antidepressant effects in persons with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and bipolar depression (TRBD). However, the synaptic mechanisms governing dose, frequency, and durability of response remain unclear. This review aims to evaluate the dosing parameters, including minimum dose and optimal dosing intervals, that reliably induce or maintain long-term...
Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy
January 22, 2026
Diana Orsini, Sara Di Luch, Gabrielle F. M. Lovell et al.
Evidence supporting the use of intravenous ketamine and intranasal esketamine for depression has dramatically increased with a large number of clinical trials and real-world effectiveness studies supporting antidepressant effects. Larger studies have provided reassuring data supporting an adequate safety profile, including safety data with long-term treatment. Alternative routes of...
General Hospital Psychiatry
2026
Gabrielle F. M. Lovell, Shreya Vasudeva, Diana Orsini et al.
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic with potential for treating mood, anxiety, and related disorders; however, concerns have emerged regarding hepatotoxicity in the context of chronic treatment. Systematic searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Ovid databases were conducted from inception to August 2025. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, and case...
Psychiatry Research
August 15, 2025
Sipan Haikazian, Roger S McIntyre, Shakila Meshkat et al.
7 citations
Antidepressant effects with sub-anesthetic doses of intravenous ketamine have been previously demonstrated. However, previous studies have primarily evaluated the efficacy of acute treatment protocols, with limited research on maintenance treatment. Moreover, controlled maintenance studies have only included patients with treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder (TRD), with no maintenance...