We read a recent article published by CNN titled “Ketamine offers lifeline for people with severe depression, suicidal thoughts1” with great interest. The article traces the story of a man with a 35-year history of severe refractory depression, suicidal ideation, and recent suicide attempts who was successfully treated with ketamine as a last resort after failing dozens of other pharmacologic...
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy appears safe and may offer durable relief from depression and anxiety in individuals with a life-threatening illness.
IMPORTANCE The comorbidity of major depressive disorder (MDD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is often treated inadequately. This study evaluated the impact of adding the opioid receptor blocker, naltrexone, to the NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, ketamine, for the treatment of MDD comorbid with AUD. In so doing, it also attempted to shed light on the contribution of opioid receptor...
Abstract This review systematically summarizes the research progress of ketamine and its interaction with specific brain regions in the context of neuropathic pain comorbid with depression. As a non-competitive inhibitor of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, Ketamine exerts complex mechanisms and controversial topic. The structure and function of NMDA receptors, as well as the binding sites...
Treatment resistant depression (TRD) is frequently encountered in clinical practice. The lack of response of the condition to conventional medications and augmentation strategies has spawned the search for novel treatment approaches. Psychedelic medications used in conjunction with intensive psychotherapy, so-called psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), have been evaluated in a limited...
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety of esketamine in bipolar depression, focusing on suicide-related outcomes and manic switch across timeframe and demographic subgroups. METHODS This retrospective cohort study was conducted in May 2025 using data from the TriNetX global collaborative network. Adults with bipolar depression treated with esketamine plus a mood stabilizer were propensity...
Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe condition marked by persistent sadness and functional impairment. While electrocompulsive therapy (ECT) is effective for treatment-resistant cases, the comparative effects of propofol and ketamine as anesthetic agents remain unclear. Objective: To compare the effects of propofol and ketamine anesthesia on depression severity in patients...
Frontiers in PsychiatryAugust 4, 2025Fernando Mora, J. Ramos-Quiroga, Enrique Baca-García et al.5 citations
Introduction Depression is a highly prevalent disease that severely impacts the life of patients. Inadequate response to at least two antidepressants despite adequacy of treatment and adherence is known as treatment-resistant depression (TRD), which entails a higher social and economic burden than non-resistant major depression. The lack of consensus on the definition of TRD and other aspects...
Frontiers in PsychiatryAugust 4, 2025Wierzbicka Małgorzata, Renata Kopczyk, Alexander L. Gerlach et al.1 citation
Depression prevalence is markedly elevated in oncological patients, particularly among head and neck cancer (HNC) cohorts, who face twice the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to other cancer populations. MDD in this context independently predicts poorer clinical outcomes and increased morbidity. HNC management often involves acute surgical interventions with disfiguring...
Abstract Background As accumulating evidence suggests ketamine's antisuicidal properties, there has been growing interest in elucidating its underlying mechanisms and predictive factors for treatment response. However, the predictive power of several demographic and clinical characteristics varied across previous studies. Additionally, some potential predictors, such as baseline depression...