The Use of Ketamine as Therapy for Depression
Lovina Lovina
Open Access Indonesian Journal of Medical Reviews October 15, 2021 DOI: 10.37275/oaijmr.v1i2.34 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Dose | subanesthetic doses |
| Topics | Depression Esketamine Ketamine |
| Key findings | Ketamine, administered intravenously in subanesthetic doses, shows rapid-onset antidepressant effects likely through increased BDNF in the hippocampus, but requires monitoring for side effects. |
Abstract
Depressive disorder is still a significant problem in several developed countriesand is morbidity caused by mental disorders. With the development of science,now discovered the unique pharmacodynamic properties of ketamine, which isused as an antidepressant. As we know in clinical practice, ketamine is used foranaesthesia, analgesia, sedation, and chronic pain management. Rapid-onsetantidepressants resulted from increased levels of BDNF in the hippocampus.Extracellular glutamate agents are not new for the treatment of depression.According to the neurobiology view, depression is a monoaminergic phenomenon,so this is the impetus for discovering a new generation of antidepressants.Ketamine can be given intravenously in subanesthetic doses. Still, monitoringmust be carrying in therapy administration because of the possible side effectssuch as hypersalivation, tachycardia, increased systemic arterial pressure, andintracranial pressure.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on ketamine for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synthesizing the Evidence for Ketamine and Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: An International Expert Opinion on the Available Evidence and Implementation Adults with treatment-resistant depression | 2021 | Review | |
| Ketamine: a paradigm shift for depression research and treatment | 2019 | Review | |
| Rapid‐acting antidepressant ketamine, its metabolites and other candidates: A historical overview and future perspective | 2019 | Review | |
| Ketamine: A tale of two enantiomers | 2020 | Review | |
| Molecular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant actions of arketamine: beyond the NMDA receptor | 2021 | Review |