Exploring the impact of music on response to ketamine/esketamine: A scoping review.
Mina Kheirkhah, Allison C. Nugent, Alicia A Livinski, Lucinda Neely, Sara C Johnson, Ioline D. Henter, Shahaboddin Dabaghi Varnosfaderani, Rebecca B Price, Nadia S. Hejazi, Mani Yavi, Hamidreza Jamalabadi, Nooshin Javaheripour, Martin Walter, Carlos A. Zarate
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105693 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Esketamine Ketamine |
| Keywords | Anesthesia Ketamine-assisted therapy Music intervention Music healing Psychedelic-assisted treatment |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key findings | This scoping review is the first comprehensive exploration of the interplay between music and ketamine/esketamine in humans, describing existing studies across diverse populations and treatment contexts. |
Abstract
Music and ketamine are both known to affect therapeutic outcomes, but few studies have investigated their co-administration. This scoping review describes the existing literature on the joint use of music and ketamine-or esketamine (the S(+) enantiomer of ketamine)-in humans. The review considers that extant studies have explored the intersection of ketamine/esketamine and music in healthy volunteers and in patients of various age groups, at different dosages, through different treatment processes, and have varied the sequence of playing music relative to ketamine/esketamine administration. Studies investigating the use of music during ketamine anesthesia are also included in the review because anesthesia and sedation were the early drivers of ketamine use. Studies pertaining to recreational ketamine use were omitted. The review was limited to articles published in the English language but not restricted by publication year. To the best of our knowledge, this scoping review is the first comprehensive exploration of the interplay between music and ketamine/esketamine and offers valuable insights to researchers interested in designing future studies.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on esketamine, 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 | |
| Long-term safety of ketamine and esketamine in treatment of depression | 2022 | Review | |
| Ketamine, Esketamine, and Arketamine: Their Mechanisms of Action and Applications in the Treatment of Depression and Alleviation of Depressive Symptoms. | 2024 | Review | |
| The potential of ketamine for posttraumatic stress disorder: a review of clinical evidence. | 2023 | Review | |
| Variations in BDNF and Their Role in the Neurotrophic Antidepressant Mechanisms of Ketamine and Esketamine: A Review. Patients with depression | 2024 | Narrative review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Ketamine, Esketamine, and Arketamine: Their Mechanisms of Action and Applications in the Treatment of Depression and Alleviation of Depressive Symptoms. Biomedicines October 9, 2024
- Ketamine and its two enantiomers in anesthesiology and psychiatry: A historical review and future directions Journal of Anesthesia and Translational Medicine July 11, 2024
- Esketamine alleviates depressive-like behavior in neuropathic pain mice through the METTL3-GluA1 pathway. Cell Biology and Toxicology January 29, 2025
- Effects of Binaural Beat Music and Esketamine for ECT in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2025
- Interdisciplinary, Delphi-driven consensus guidelines on the use of intravenous ketamine infusions for depressive disorders from the American Society of Ketamine Physicians, Psychotherapists, and Practitioners (ASKP3). Journal of Affective Disorders May 16, 2026
and 4 more in the library
Cites 27
- A Randomized Trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate Antagonist in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression Archives of General Psychiatry August 1, 2006
- The hidden therapist: evidence for a central role of music in psychedelic therapy Psychopharmacology February 1, 2018
- Ketamine Has Distinct Electrophysiological and Behavioral Effects in Depressed and Healthy Subjects Molecular Psychiatry February 27, 2018
- Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Paradigm Shift in Psychiatric Research and Development Frontiers in Pharmacology July 5, 2018
- Adjunctive Ketamine With Relapse Prevention–Based Psychological Therapy in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder American Journal of Psychiatry January 11, 2022
and 22 more in the library