The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
September 6, 2026
Balwinder Singh, Siamak MahmoudianDehkordi, Jennifer L. Vande Voort et al.
OBJECTIVE: Ketamine is a rapid-acting antidepressant with an incompletely understood mechanism of action. Pharmacometabolomics can identify pathways underlying its effects and response variability. Using data from the Bio-K trial (NCT03156504), a multisite open-label study, we characterised metabolomic signatures of intravenous (IV) racemic ketamine in adults with treatment-resistant depression...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
June 1, 2026
Chittaranjan Behera, Srishti Gupta, Richard C. Shelton et al.
2 citations
Suicide is a major global health problem. Growing evidence shows that immune dysregulation and inflammation contribute to suicidality. This review summarises inflammatory mechanisms associated with suicidal behaviour and evaluates emerging therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways. A narrative literature review was conducted using a combination of keywords, including suicide, therapy,...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
January 22, 2026
David Eckert, Siegfried Kasper
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) poses a major challenge in research and clinical practice. Various guidelines recommend different pharmacological approaches. While lithium and second-generation antipsychotics have traditionally been the drugs of choice in cases of medication resistance, recent years have seen increasing evidence for the efficacy of esketamine as a fast-acting agent against...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
2025
Christine Reif-Leonhard, Shannon N Millard, Dorsa Ferdowssian et al.
3 citations
While neuropsychological effects of conventional antidepressants are well-documented, more research is needed for rapid-acting antidepressants. This study examines the effects of esketamine on emotion processing and cognitive functioning, both acutely and sub-chronically. Eighteen treatment-resistant depression (TRD) patients received repeated intravenous esketamine infusions. Mood state was...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
November 1, 2024
Samantha Graf, Gregor Dörl, Christian Milz et al.
2 citations
Ketamine exerts rapid antidepressant effects by enhancing neuroplasticity, particularly in the amygdala and hippocampus-regions involved in fear processing and learning. While the role of ketamine's dissociative effects in its antidepressant response is debated, anxiety experienced during infusion has been negatively correlated with treatment outcomes. In this single-blind, placebo-controlled...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
October 3, 2023
Pablo G. Vázquez, Susan Whitfield, Clemens C C Bauer et al.
8 citations
Objective During hypnosis, significant changes in the BOLD signal associated with the anterior default mode network (DMN) and prefrontal attentional systems have been reported as evidence of dissociation defined since Charcot. However, it remains uncertain whether these changes are mainly attributable to the hypnotic state per se or to the target suggestions used to verify subject's state...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
June 20, 2023
Maria Gałuszko‐węgielnik, Katarzyna Jakuszkowiak‐wojten, Alina Wilkowska et al.
9 citations
OBJECTIVES: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and bipolar disorder (BD) often co-occur and frequently do not respond adequately to traditional antidepressant treatments. Ketamine has shown rapid antidepressant and anti-suicidal effects. However, there is limited literature on the safety and tolerance of using ketamine to treat patients with comorbid BD and BPD. METHODS: This case presents a...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
January 18, 2023
Shakila Meshkat, Sipan Haikazian, Joshua D. Di Vincenzo et al.
61 citations
Abstract Objectives: Ketamine is a glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist that can be used to treat major depressive disorder by single or repeated infusions. However, the accessibility and scalability of oral ketamine make it preferred over intravenous ketamine. In this systematic review, we aim to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of oral ketamine, esketamine and...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
July 4, 2022
Monika Dmitrzak-Weglarz, M. Tyszkiewicz-Nwafor, Filip Rybakowski et al.
Abstract Objectives This study attempts to assess the concentration of two opposite-acting adipokines (anti-inflammatory adiponectin and pro-inflammatory resistin) in antidepressant-resistant patients undergoing ketamine infusion (KI) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Methods The study group comprised 52 patients hospitalised due to episodes of depression in the course of bipolar disorders....
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
March 22, 2022
Deepak C. D’Souza, Marta DiForti, Suhas Ganesh et al.
Abstract Objectives The liberalisation of cannabis laws, the increasing availability and potency of cannabis has renewed concern about the risk of psychosis with cannabis. Methods The objective of the WFSBP task force was to review the literature about this relationship. Results Converging lines of evidence suggest that exposure to cannabis increases the risk for psychoses ranging from...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
January 5, 2022
Matti Gärtner, Mischa de Rover, Lena Václavů et al.
11 citations
Ketamine is a promising treatment option for patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and has become an important research tool to investigate antidepressant mechanisms of action. However, imaging studies attempting to characterise ketamine's mechanism of action using blood oxygen level-dependent signal (BOLD) imaging have yielded inconsistent results- at least partly due to intrinsic...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
November 3, 2020
Siegfried Kasper, Wiesław Jerzy Cubała, Andrea Fagiolini et al.
84 citations
OBJECTIVES: -methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist, is a novel, fast-acting option in this patient population. This manuscript provides expert guidance on the practicalities of using esketamine nasal spray. METHODS: A group of six European experts in major depressive disorder (MDD) and TRD, with clinical experience of treating patients with esketamine nasal spray, first...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
October 10, 2016
Steven F. Grieco, Dmitry Velmeshev, M. Magistri et al.
Abstract Objectives: We examined mechanisms that contribute to the rapid antidepressant effect of ketamine in mice that is dependent on glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) inhibition. Methods: We measured serotonergic (5HT)-2C-receptor (5HTR2C) cluster microRNA (miRNA) levels in mouse hippocampus after administering an antidepressant dose of ketamine (10 mg/kg) in wild-type and GSK3 knockin mice,...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
February 26, 2016
Eric J Lenze, Nuri B Farber, E. Kharasch et al.
ABSTRACT Objectives We examined the feasibility of a high-dose, 96-h infusion of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. Methods Ten participants were randomised to receive a 96-h ketamine infusion, titrated as tolerated to a target rate of 0.6 mg/kg/h, while 10 received a 40-min ketamine infusion (0.5 mg/kg). Both groups received clonidine, titrated to a maximum of 0.6 mg orally daily,...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
January 11, 2016
Matthew N. Cooper, Joshua D. Rosenblat, Danielle S. Cha et al.
40 citations
Objectives Replicated evidence has demonstrated that ketamine exerts rapid-acting and potent antidepressant effects. Notwithstanding, its promise to mitigate depressive symptoms and suicidality in antidepressant-resistant populations, several limitations and safety concerns accompany ketamine including, but not limited to, the potential for abuse and psychotomimetic/dissociative experiences....
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
September 1, 2014
R. Lai, Natalie Katalinic, Paul Glue et al.
Abstract Objectives. Research studies have reported impressive antidepressant effects with ketamine but significant knowledge gaps remain over the best method of administering ketamine, and the relationships between dose, antidepressant response and adverse effects. Methods. In this pilot dose-finding study, the efficacy and tolerability of ketamine given by rapid intravenous (i.v.) infusion...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
March 1, 2010
Patrik Roser, Franz X. Vollenweider, Wolfram Kawohl
63 citations
Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), the principal psychoactive constituent of the Cannabis sativa plant, and other agonists at the central cannabinoid (CB(1)) receptor may induce characteristic psychomotor effects, psychotic reactions and cognitive impairment resembling schizophrenia. These effects of Delta(9)-THC can be reduced in animal and human models of psychopathology by two...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
2009
Robert Paul, Nadine Schaaff, Frank Padberg et al.
Recent studies with intravenous infusion of the NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine showed robust and rapid antidepressant effects within hours after treatment. Ketamine is a racemic mixture consisting of two enantiomers, R- and S-ketamine. In contrast to ketamine, S-ketamine is reported to be less prone to psychomimetic side effects, such as derealisation and hallucinations. In this report we...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
2009
Francesco Nifosì, Andrea Martinuzzi, Tommaso Toffanin et al.
Acute ingestion of MDMA (ecstasy) causes a transient marked increase in serotonin and dopamine at central synapses. Recent studies demonstrated that MDMA induces damage of serotonergic nerve terminals and alters hippocampal processing. Pronounced cognitive deficits in MDMA users affect learning and memory abilities. This pattern of predominant and long-lasting memory dysfunction suggests that...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
2009
Carlo Marchesi, Matteo Tonna, Carlo Maggini
We report the case of two young subjects who developed an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during a heavy use of ecstasy. After several months of discontinuation of the drug, major depression with psychotic features developed in one subject and a psychotic disorder in the other individual. No mental disorder preceded the use of ecstasy in any subject. A familial and personality vulnerability...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
May 12, 2008
Michael Liebrenz, Rudolf Stohler, Alain Borgeat
73 citations
BACKGROUND: The intravenous administration of ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, results in a great improvement of depression symptoms, but it is not clear for how long. This single-case trial was conducted to explore the duration of improvement and the effects of a second administration on the clinical outcome. METHODS: In an open label trial, a 55-year-old male patient...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
2004
Roman J Nielen, Frank Mma van der Heijden, S. Tuinier et al.
42 citations
OBJECTIVE: This paper describes two cases with khat- and two with psilocybin-induced psychoses and draws attention to the medical and social consequences of the use of these drugs. METHOD: Two male patients are presented who developed relapsing and short-lasting psychotic episodes after chewing kath leaves. In addition, two male patients are reported who showed an acute exacerbation of...