How do serotonergic psychedelics treat depression: The potential role of neuroplasticity
Hewa Artin, S. Zisook, Dhakshin Ramanathan
World Journal of Psychiatry June 19, 2021 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v11.i6.201 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression Neuroplasticity Serotonin |
| Key findings | The paper reviews evidence on the effect of depression, classic antidepressants, ketamine, and serotonergic psychedelics on neuroplasticity markers to explore the potential role of neuroplasticity in the treatment response of serotonergic psychedelics. |
Abstract
Depression is a common mental disorder and one of the leading causes of disability around the world. Monoaminergic antidepressants often take weeks to months to work and are not effective for all patients. This has led to a search for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of depression as well as to the development of novel antidepressants. One such novel antidepressant is ketamine, which has demonstrated both clinically promising results and contributed to new explanatory models of depression, including the potential role of neuroplasticity in depression. Early clinical trials are now showing promising results of serotonergic psychedelics for depression; however, their mechanism of action remains poorly understood. This paper seeks to review the effect of depression, classic antidepressants, ketamine, and serotonergic psychedelics on markers of neuroplasticity at a cellular, molecular, electrophysiological, functional, structural, and psychological level to explore the potential role that neuroplasticity plays in the treatment response of serotonergic psychedelics.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A neurotrophic hypothesis of depression: role of synaptogenesis in the actions of NMDA receptor antagonists | 2012 | Review | |
| Towards an understanding of psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity. Review of preclinical and clinical studies | 2023 | Review | |
| Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation [In the Spotlight] | 2008 | Review | |
| Neuroplasticity as a convergent mechanism of ketamine and classical psychedelics | 2021 | Review | |
| Psychedelics in Psychiatry: Neuroplastic, Immunomodulatory, and Neurotransmitter Mechanisms | 2020 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 21
- Psychedelic therapy for depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders February 1, 2023
- Biochemical Mechanisms Underlying Psychedelic-Induced Neuroplasticity. Biochemistry January 21, 2022
- Drug-drug interactions between psychiatric medications and MDMA or psilocybin: a systematic review Psychopharmacology March 7, 2022
- The Psychedelic Future of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Current Neuropharmacology January 5, 2024
- Psychedelic-inspired approaches for treating neurodegenerative disorders. Journal of Neurochemistry July 1, 2022
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Cites 55
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and 50 more in the library