Hope for Neurotic Disorders: A Summary of New Zealand Research on the Development of Biomarkers and Novel Treatments.
Neil McNaughton, Shabah M. Shadli, Ben Beaglehole, Paul Glue
Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand February 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1002/snz2.70002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with neurotic disorders |
| Interventions | Ketamine LSD Psilocybin |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Ketamine |
| Keywords | EEG Anxiety biomarker Treatment resistance |
| Key findings | An EEG biomarker for anxiety disorders can detect resistance to conventional treatments, and ketamine shows promise as a treatment for treatment-resistant neurotic disorders. |
Abstract
The neurotic disorders (e.g., depression, dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder) are costly and difficult to treat. Diagnosis is based on symptoms not biological causes. Here, we summarize New Zealand-based work developing EEG biomarkers and novel treatments. Working at the University of Otago, we have developed an anxiety disorder biomarker and shown its potential to detect anxiety resistant to conventional treatments. Others have started similar work on depression biomarkers. We have also found that ketamine is a novel treatment for treatment-resistant neurotic disorders in general and have provided a "double hit" hypothesis of the mechanisms involved. Muthukumaraswamy and coworkers at the University of Auckland and elsewhere have obtained similar results with ketamine, LSD, and psilocybin, and we, along with them, have demonstrated treatment-related effects on EEG. These linked developments, potentially supplemented with psychotherapy, should open the way to quicker acting, broad ranging, effective treatment of neurotic disorders. With the our recent more purely practical development of oral tablet delivery, which will allow home dosing, the future for the treatment of neurotic disorders looks bright.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on ketamine for anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders | 2017 | Review and consensus statement | |
| KETAMINE'S MECHANISM OF ACTION: A PATH TO RAPID‐ACTING ANTIDEPRESSANTS | 2016 | Review | |
| Eradicating Suicide at Its Roots: Preclinical Bases and Clinical Evidence of the Efficacy of Ketamine in the Treatment of Suicidal Behaviors | 2018 | Review | |
| Predictors of Response to Ketamine in Treatment Resistant Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder Patients with treatment-resistant depressive symptoms as part of major depressive... | 2018 | Narrative review | |
| Ketamine as a Fast Acting Antidepressant: Current Knowledge and Open Questions | 2013 | Review |