npj Mental Health Research
July 27, 2026
Jennifer Swainson, P. Grewal, S. Polard et al.
This scoping review maps literature for use of ketamine or esketamine with psychotherapy for depression or depressive symptoms. Forty-seven studies were identified including 4/47 (9%) randomized controlled trials, 4/47 (9%) open label trials, 27/47 (57%) observational or retrospective studies, and 12/47 (26%) individual case reports. Studies were categorized as Ketamine/Esketamine Combined with...
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
July 26, 2026
Peng Zhang, Mengyu Wu, Keke Zhang et al.
Esketamine has been approved for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression. However, there is an unmet clinical need to extend the duration of esketamine's action to reduce the high recurrence rate after drug withdrawal and the potential side effects of repeated esketamine use. Here, we found that increasing extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity by pharmacologically...
Journal of Affective Disorders
July 23, 2026
Rapid clinical and EEG microstate changes 24 h after intranasal esketamine in major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation: a prospective paired study.
Current Neuropharmacology
July 22, 2026
Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: Clinical and Translational Perspectives.
Research Square
July 20, 2026
Qianqian Wu, Weicheng Li, Zhanjie Luo et al.
preprint
Abstract Background: Anhedonia, a prominent symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD), severely impairs patients' quality of life and is challenging to treat. Although esketamine has shown potential in treating anhedonia in adult treatment-resistant MDD, its effects on adolescents remain under-explored. Methods: In this study, a prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was...
European Neuropsychopharmacology
July 17, 2026
Allan H. Young, Bernhard T Baune, Beatrice Benatti et al.
Esketamine nasal spray (NS) is an established treatment for patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD). To further optimise real-world outcomes, consensus is needed regarding strategies to enhance patient outcomes and decision-making factors for pivotal timepoints in esketamine NS treatment. This modified Delphi panel (3 rounds) established expert consensus (≥80% agreement) from 30...
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
July 17, 2026
Bartosz Niciński, Magdalena Kloc, Ewa Wiench, Natasza Millan, Aleksandra Blicharz, Wojciech Kozdraś, Lidia Kozaczko, Gabriela Szewczyk, Elżbieta Bukowczan, Alicja Zając, Damian Broda, Alicja Benecka
preprint
Major depressive disorder is a highly burdensome psychiatric condition worldwide, and many patients do not achieve full remission after standard monoaminergic antidepressant treatment. This has contributed to growing interest in rapid-acting antidepressant interventionstargeting neurobiological pathways beyond traditional serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine mechanisms. This review...
Journal of Affective Disorders
July 16, 2026
Sara Massetti, Sanne Y Smith-Apeldoorn, Jolien K E Veraart et al.
Ketamine and its enantiomer esketamine are efficacious in 30-35% of the patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Increased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) following treatment has been proposed as a potential biomarker of antidepressant response. This is based on studies evaluating single intravenous ketamine treatment. BDNF expression at different treatment schedules...
Open Mind
July 13, 2026
Vassilis Martiadis, Fabiola Raffone
preprint
In acute trials of intravenous and intranasal ketamine/esketamine, the rapid anti-suicidal effect appears to be at least partly independent of the overall antidepressant response. That question has, to our knowledge, never been examined in a real-world esketamine cohort followed for six months, nor in a sample enriched for comorbid borderline personality disorder (BPD), a population excluded...
July 12, 2026
Fahd François Hilal, Méléna Dreinaza, Quentin Lebel et al.
Background and Purpose: Ketamine has emerged as a promising treatment candidate for alcohol use disorder (AUD), yet whether its S- and R-enantiomers differentially regulate ongoing binge-like alcohol self-administration remains unknown. We compared the acute and repeated effects of S- and R-ketamine in a chronic binge-like, front-loaded operant alcohol self-administration paradigm. Experimental...