The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 9, 2026
M Saje, Jurij Bon, Aleš Oblak
Abstract Background Esketamine is a NMDA receptor antagonist that has been approved as treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Unlike serotoninergic therapies requiring weeks for effect, intranasal esketamine modulates glutamate neurotransmission, often yielding symptom relief within hours and significant response rates within one month [1]. This rapid action is particularly...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 9, 2026
Y-H Chan, H-M Chang
Abstract Background Esketamine, the S-enantiomer of ketamine, is an NMDA receptor antagonist approved for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Although regulated clinical trials suggest a low risk of misuse, concerns remain that esketamine exposure may facilitate transition to ketamine dependence, particularly in East Asia where illicit ketamine is widely available. Aims & Objectives To...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 9, 2026
Mostafa El Mansari, Naomichi Okamoto, Pierre Blier
Abstract Background Low-dose racemic ketamine enhances the firing rate and burst activity of rat norepinephrine neurons in the locus coeruleus, as well as the population activity of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area [El Iskandrani et al, 2015]. These brainstem monoamine nuclei densely innervate the prefrontal cortex (PFC), whereas clinical studies have shown a facilitation of...
Journal of Psychiatric Research
September 7, 2026
Objective: Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is associated with severe functional impairment, poor quality of life, and increased suicide risk. This study evaluated the effectiveness of intranasal esketamine on depressive symptoms, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and quality of life in patients with TRD, exploring whether outcomes differed according to concomitant antidepressant class (SSRI...
Research Square
September 7, 2026
Jennifer L Phillips, Ifeoluwa Olaoluwa, Areebah Ahmed et al.
preprint
Abstract Metabolic, inflammatory, and neurotrophic measures may provide complementary insight into biological heterogeneity underlying treatment-resistant depression and response to ketamine-based treatments. However, biomarker studies of ketamine treatment have focused on individual markers or biological domains, most commonly inflammatory or neurotrophic, while metabolic measures remain...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
September 7, 2026
Sabrina Wong, Gia Han Le, Simryn Selby et al.
Extant literature indicates mitochondrial dysfunction may contribute to the pathophysiology of depressive disorders. Preclinical data indicate that anesthetic doses of ketamine are associated with deficits in mitochondrial viability and function. Ketamine and esketamine have demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects in persons with difficult-to-treat depressive disorders. Herein, we aim to...
Drug safety
September 2, 2026
You Wang, Alexandra S Storaci, G Caleb Alexander et al.
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is associated with elevated suicide risk, but real-world evidence on whether esketamine reduces suicide attempts and intentional self-harm remains limited. The aim was to estimate whether current esketamine exposure was associated with a higher or lower risk of recorded nonfatal, medically attended suicide attempt or intentional self-harm among adults with...
Drug Design, Development and Therapy
September 1, 2026
Xiaoying Cui, Wutao Chen, Jinyu Wang et al.
Purpose: Postoperative anxiety is common in surgical patients and may impair recovery, especially in the patients with preoperative anxiety. However, effective strategies for treating postoperative anxiety remain limited. We hypothesized that esketamine could reduce postoperative anxiety in patients with preoperative anxiety undergoing major abdominal tumor surgery. Patients and Methods: 180...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
N Hartman, D Ivkic, M C Dorczok et al.
Neuropsychiatric manifestations of Long COVID (LC) frequently include post-exertional malaise (Cheng et al. , 2025), fatigue, cognitive dysfunction and impairment, sleep disturbances, post-traumatic stress, autonomic dysregulation, pain, inner tension, psychomotor retardation, aberrations in appetite and weight (Badenoch et al. , 2022; O'Mahoney et al. , 2025), showing substantial clinical and...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
S Makhoul, N Abdulameer
Abstract Background Esketamine intranasal spray is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but it is not licensed for use in bipolar disorder due to the risk of antidepressants inducing manic or hypomanic episodes. To date, there is limited data on the use of intranasal esketamine in bipolar disorder, and no previous reports of using esketamine as an add-on treatment in patients...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 1, 2026
Abstract Background Antidepressant effects of ketamine and esketamine are short lived, often lasting only weeks after multiple treatments. With that in mind, it has been considered addition of psychotherapy may enhance outcomes. One approach, knows as Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) focuses on "integration " of the dissociative experience induced by ketamine, and suggests this may produce...
American Journal of Psychiatry
September 1, 2026
Continuing Questions About Esketamine 5 Years After Approval: Response to Ahmed et al.
Medical Science
August 30, 2026
Julia Rogała, Kinga Polityńska, Dominika Ruszel et al.
Treatment-resistant depression occurs in roughly one-third of individuals diagnosed with depression.Ketamine and esketamine have appeared as innovative antidepressant treatments that target the glutamatergic system and deliver promising therapeutic options for patients unresponsive to conventional monoaminergic antidepressants.This review delivers a complete analysis of the mechanisms of...
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
August 29, 2026
Esketamine-based treatment, depression-specific metacognitive training, and their combination in treatment-resistant depression: 6-month trajectories of depressive symptoms and rumination in a multicenter observational study.
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety
August 28, 2026
Roger S McIntyre
1.0 According to the 2023 iteration of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factor studies (GBD) assessing 375 injuries and diseases and 12 mental disorders, mental disorders are now th...
European Neuropsychopharmacology
August 27, 2026
correction
Erratum to "Long-term treatment with esketamine nasal spray in patients with treatment resistant depression: Results from the ESCAPE-LTE study" [European Neuropsychopharmacology 107 (2026) 112801].
BMC Anesthesiology
August 26, 2026
Mao Li, Wen Wen, Xiang Wen
Postoperative depression and anxiety are common in elderly patients undergoing joint replacement surgery and may affect recovery. Esketamine has rapid antidepressant effects, but evidence for combined perioperative use remains limited, particularly in elderly patients undergoing joint replacement surgery. This study evaluated the association between combined perioperative esketamine exposure...
Healthcare
August 26, 2026
Mostafa A. Sayed Ali, Palanisamy Amirthalingam, Hanan Alshareef et al.
Background/Objectives: This study evaluated the real-world effectiveness and safety of intranasal esketamine plus oral antidepressants compared with venlafaxine-based oral antidepressant therapy in adults with moderate-to-severe treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Methods: This retrospective cohort study used electronic medical records from a mental health hospital between January 2023 and...
Neuropsychiatrie
August 25, 2026
Nicolas Schmelzle, Katrin Neubacher, Paul L. Plener et al.
BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms and suicidality are highly prevalent in adolescents with early-onset psychosis (EOP) and often remain refractory to standard treatment. While S‑ketamine is an established treatment for treatment-resistant depression in adults (TRD), its use in primary psychotic disorders remains scarce due to risk of exacerbation of psychotic symptoms. CASE PRESENTATION: We...
Journal of Affective Disorders
August 20, 2026
Suicidal ideation covaries with depressive severity during six-month real-world esketamine treatment in a cohort enriched for borderline personality disorder.