Psychiatry ResearchDecember 1, 2025Ahmed Z Elmaadawi, Imane Naha, Shruti Prabhudesai et al.2 citations
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) poses significant clinical challenges, often necessitating alternative treatments such as intravenous (IV) ketamine or intranasal esketamine. This study compared the effectiveness of these modalities and examined predictors of treatment response, including comorbidity profile, prior antidepressant failures, age, and gender. A retrospective chart review was...
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or "Ecstasy") is the fourth-most used illicit substance globally. While previous research found links between MDMA use and mental health outcomes, the direction and nature of this relationship remain unclear. This study assessed whether MDMA use in early adulthood increases the risk of anxiety or depression in mid-30s. A longitudinal, population-based...
Expectations can impact antidepressant treatment and psychedelic therapy, often enhancing placebo effects and influencing outcomes. However, research in this context is lacking. Our study explored the expectations of participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) before microdosing lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in an open-label trial. Twenty-three individuals with MDD completed a...
ABSTRACT: Ketamine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist that has been approved for use as a clinical and veterinary anesthetic since 1970. Although esketamine, a specific molecular form of ketamine, is FDA-approved for the management of treatment-resistant depression, regular ketamine is often used off-label at subanesthetic doses to treat depression as well as other...
This systematic review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in treating depression, enhancing interoceptive awareness (IA), and whether IA mediates this relationship. In August 2024, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in web-based medical and psychological databases, including PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Scopus, following the Preferred...
CureusDecember 1, 2025Paweł Liszka, Agata Ogórek, Klaudia M Olejnik-Chlewicka et al.
Classic psychedelics and related substances, such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), have again become a focus of interest in psychiatry as potential therapeutic tools. The aim of this paper is to review current data on their mechanisms of action, clinical applications in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, addictions and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as to...
NursingDecember 1, 2025Rebecca Ann Ivory, Kathryn M. Pate, Brentyn M Jones et al.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects approximately 332 million people worldwide. Among those diagnosed with MDD, approximately 53% receive pharmacologic treatment, such as ketamine. Nurses must be knowledgeable about ketamine and other emerging, effective behavioral health therapies used to treat chronically depressed mood and acute suicidal ideation. This article outlines the best nursing...
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and intranasal esketamine are effective treatment options for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) that have not been directly compared. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of rTMS, intranasal esketamine, and pharmacotherapy for TRD using data from two randomised clinical trials (RCTs). This secondary analysis of individual patient data...
To assess the impact of low-dose intravenous esketamine on postpartum depression scores in women undergoing cesarean section. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 186 women aged 20-50 years receiving epidural anesthesia for cesarean section were divided into three groups: Group A (0.25 mg/kg esketamine intraoperatively + esketamine in PCIA), Group B (0.25 mg/kg esketamine...
The global population is ageing rapidly, with the number of individuals aged 60 and older reaching 1 billion in 2019 and expected to double by 2050. As people age, neuropsychological health often deteriorates, leading to a higher prevalence of age-related depression. Symptoms may include anxiety, apathy, mood instability, sadness, and, in severe cases, suicidal thoughts. Depression in the...
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe condition often complicated by co-occurring disorders, such as major depression, alcohol use disorder, and substance use disorders. A well-powered phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled trial has shown that MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) may be an effective treatment for severe PTSD. However, the psychological mechanisms driving the...
PURPOSE Parents of children with medical complexity (CMC) frequently experience challenges with family management and depression. The purpose of the study was to provide preliminary feasibility, usage, acceptability, and efficacy data following a trial of mindfulness app use in parents of a CMC. DESIGN AND METHODS In this single-arm intervention pilot study, parents were asked to use a...
Depression is increasingly conceptualized as a disorder of impaired synaptic plasticity and excitation-inhibition imbalance within corticolimbic circuits. Two rapid-acting therapeutic classes, NMDA receptor modulators (ketamine, esketamine) and neuroactive-steroid GABA-A positive allosteric modulators (brexanolone, zuranolone), offer complementary approaches to restore circuit function....
Background. Major depressive disorder affects 20% of the global population, with treatment-resistant depression in 10-30% of cases. Patients with acute suicidal ideation need immediate intervention, yet conventional antidepressants require weeks to work. Esketamine offers rapid symptom reduction through NMDA receptor antagonism. Aim. To systematically review current evidence on efficacy and...
In 2019, the FDA and EMA approved intranasal esketamine for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The current study re-evaluated its efficacy and safety. This registered report presents a systematic review and individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis of double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) assessing intranasal esketamine for TRD. Two reviewers independently screened...
BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of global disability, and current treatments often fail to provide sustained effectiveness. MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) is a promising treatment for MDD. However, the long-term effects are not known. OBJECTIVES: To examine the long-term effects of MDMA-AT for MDD. METHODS: Twelve participants with MDD and an ongoing moderate to...
Depressive disorder is a widespread psychological condition. It affects approximately 5% of adults globally. Untreated depression can compromise the quality of life in all its aspects, leading to deterioration of physical health or even suicide. Currently, the recommended treatment is pharmacological therapy, however, not all patients respond to traditional methods, and drug treatment is...
Depression is a debilitating mental disorder affecting millions worldwide, yet current pharmacological treatments, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), often exhibit delayed onset and limited efficacy. The chronic social defeat (CSD) stress model in mice is a well-established preclinical paradigm for inducing depression-like behaviors and evaluating antidepressants...
Ketamine and its enantiomer esketamine are NMDA receptor antagonists that have shown consistent antidepressant effects in major depression disorder (MDD). These effects suggest an active role of glutamate in the pathophysiology of depression. It has been hypothesized that acute increase of glutamate neurotransmission in the prefrontal cortex following treatment with (es)ketamine leads to...
PAP was associated with modest, short-term improvements in performance on measures of processing speed and executive function among individuals with TRD. While these changes appeared independent of mood, they did not consistently exceed expected practice effects. These findings highlight the need for adequately powered, controlled trials to clarify whether observed cognitive changes reflect...