Ketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression: a New Advocate.
Rodrigo Pérez-Esparza
Revista de investigacion clinica; organo del Hospital de Enfermedades de la Nutricion 2018 DOI: 10.24875/ric.18002501 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Topics | Depression Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | N-methyl-d-aspartate Treatment-resistant |
| Key findings | The authors argue that ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, shows rapid antidepressant effects and efficacy in treatment-resistant depression, findings that have redirected research toward glutamatergic therapeutic targets. They note that off-label use has become popular in certain settings and aim to clarify ketamine's benefits and potential harms. |
Abstract
Current alternatives for the treatment of major depressive disorder lack efficacy and have a delayed onset of action. Recently, the glutamatergic neurotransmission system has been noted to play an important role in the pathophysiology of this disorder. Ever since the first report of the antidepressant effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, ketamine, research has been redirected to novel therapeutic targets. With this rapidly growing evidence of a fast-acting antidepressant such as ketamine, as well as its efficacy in treatment-resistant cases of depression, off-label use has become popular in certain settings. In this article, the clinical antidepressant properties of ketamine in relation to the glutamate hypothesis of depression are discussed, to highlight the breakthrough of these findings in the development of novel therapeutic strategies and provide a clearer view of its benefits and potential harms.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Activation of ventral hippocampal CB1 receptors inhibits ketamine-induced anxiogenic-like behavior: Alteration of BDNF/c-Fos levels in the mouse hippocampus. Brain Research April 1, 2023
- Ketamine and Other Glutamate Receptor Modulating Agents for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 2022
Cites 4
- Ketamine Safety and Tolerability in Clinical Trials for Treatment-Resistant Depression The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry September 2, 2014
- Ketamine treatment for depression: opportunities for clinical innovation and ethical foresight. The Lancet Psychiatry April 5, 2017
- Antidepressant mechanism of ketamine: perspective from preclinical studies Frontiers in Neuroscience July 21, 2015
- Glutamate and GABA Systems in the Pathophysiology of Major Depression and Antidepressant Response to Ketamine Biological Psychiatry May 12, 2016