Sleep-administered ketamine/psychedelics: A streamlined strategy to address two challenges in research on ketamine and psychedelics.
Shokouh Arjmand, Mats B Lindström, Carl M Sellgren, Gregers Wegener
European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists February 5, 2025 DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.14 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Ketamine Psychedelics |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Mechanism of action Rapid-acting antidepressants Psychedelics hallucinogens Entheogens Psychedelic drugs Psychiatric medicine Psychopharmacology Trial protocols Blinding procedures |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Proposes that administering ketamine or psychedelics during sleep could help determine whether dissociative effects are necessary for their antidepressant action and reduce bias in clinical trials. |
Abstract
The dissociative effects of ketamine and psychedelics might be associated with their rapid antidepressant properties, raising questions about whether these effects are necessary for their therapeutic action. Additionally, the distinct dissociative experiences often reported by patients in clinical trials may reveal whether they receive an active treatment or a placebo, potentially introducing bias into the results. In this viewpoint, we propose administering ketamine/psychedelics to patients during sleep, offering a novel approach to address and explore these challenges.