Ketamine as a therapeutic agent in major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder: Potential medicinal and deleterious effects.
Bhuvi Sachdeva, Punya Sachdeva, Shampa Ghosh, Faizan Ahmad, Jitendra Kumar Sinha
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Topics | Neuroplasticity Depression Esketamine Ketamine PTSD |
| Keywords | Anesthetic agent Antidepressant Neurotoxicity Therapeutics |
| Citations | 27 |
| Key findings | Ketamine is discussed as a potential therapeutic for MDD and PTSD, with its mechanisms, clinical trial results, and side effects reviewed. |
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are the most common causes of emotional distress that impair an individual's quality of life. MDD is a chronic mental illness that affects 300 million people across the world. Clinical manifestations of MDD include fatigue, loss of interest in routine tasks, psychomotor agitation, impaired ability to focus, suicidal ideation, hypersomnolence, altered psychosocial functioning, and appetite loss. Individuals with depression also demonstrate a reduced behavioral response while experiencing pleasure, a symptom known as anhedonia. Like MDD, PTSD is a prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disorder resulting from a traumatic incident such as sexual assault, war, severe accident, or natural disaster. Symptoms such as recalling event phases, hypervigilance, irritability, and anhedonia are common in PTSD. Both MDD and PTSD pose enormous socioeconomic burdens across the globe. The search for effective treatment with minimal side effects is still ongoing. Ketamine is known for its anesthetic and analgesic properties. Psychedelic and psychotropic effects of ketamine have been found on the nervous system, which highlights its toxicity. In this article, the effectiveness of ketamine as a potential therapeutic for PTSD and MDD along with its mechanisms of action, clinical trials, and possible side effects have been discussed.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on ketamine for PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A State-of-the-art Review. | 2024 | Narrative state-of-the-art review | |
| Glutamate and post-traumatic stress disorder: toward a psychobiology of dissociation. | 1999 | Review | |
| The Psychedelic Future of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment | 2024 | Comprehensive review | |
| Diverse therapeutic developments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) indicate common mechanisms of memory modulation. | 2022 | Review | |
| The potential of ketamine for posttraumatic stress disorder: a review of clinical evidence. | 2023 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Psychedelics for alzheimer's disease-related dementia: Unveiling therapeutic possibilities and pathways Ageing Research Reviews February 1, 2024
- Esketamine/Ketamine: Dual‐Action Mechanisms and Clinical Prospects beyond Anesthesia in Psychiatry, Immunology, and Oncology Advanced Science December 14, 2025
- Ketamine: An emerging agent in the management of neuropsychiatric disorders. Asian Journal of Psychiatry April 1, 2025
- Ketamine - precursor of a new generation antidepressant drugs Farmacja Polska April 17, 2024
- Ketamine and Evolving Neuroplasticity. Clinical drug investigation June 13, 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 24
- A Randomized Trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate Antagonist in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression Archives of General Psychiatry August 1, 2006
- mTOR-Dependent Synapse Formation Underlies the Rapid Antidepressant Effects of NMDA Antagonists Science August 19, 2010
- NMDAR inhibition-independent antidepressant actions of ketamine metabolites Nature April 24, 2016
- Ketamine and Ketamine Metabolite Pharmacology: Insights into Therapeutic Mechanisms Pharmacological Reviews June 26, 2018
- Efficacy of Intravenous Ketamine for Treatment of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder JAMA Psychiatry April 16, 2014
and 19 more in the library