Pharmaceuticals
October 19, 2026
Daniel Szawarnoga, Joanna Fojcik, Michał Kamil Górski et al.
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) remains one of the most clinically challenging forms of depressive disorders. In many patients, reduction in symptom severity does not translate into full functional recovery; therefore, assessment of treatment effectiveness should also include health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Objective: The aim of the study was to compare changes in HRQoL in patients...
Frontiers in Pharmacology
October 16, 2026
Qingmei Li, Shuming Liu, Huiling Chen et al.
Objective The molecular mechanisms driving esketamine (ESK) efficacy in the pain-depression dyad (PDD) remain incompletely understood. This study investigated the effects of a sub-anesthetic ESK regimen on cortical expression profiles and exploratory signaling markers within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into Sham, PDD, and PDD + ESK...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
October 16, 2026
Gilberto Sousa Alves, Humberto M. M. Dos Santos, Samira D Damasceno et al.
Background Esketamine is a promising therapeutic option for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Intravenous (IV) administration is the most extensively studied parenteral route. However, subcutaneous (SC) administration may offer simpler, more scalable delivery. Multicenter real-world evidence comparing IV and SC routes of administration remains limited. Objective To report clinical outcomes...
medRxiv
October 15, 2026
Chlöé Müh, Pauline Favre, Isabel Karen Lütkenherm et al.
preprint
Abstract Negative emotional bias, including reduced processing of positive information and negative interpretation of ambiguous stimuli, is a core feature of depression. Esketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist with rapid antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), reduces depressive symptoms, but its effects on distinct components of emotional...
Epigenetics
October 15, 2026
Arghavan Nepton, Sonya C. Faber, Zachary A. Kaminsky et al.
Ketamine produces rapid antidepressant effects, but the molecular processes associated with their persistence remain poorly defined in humans. We examined longitudinal DNA methylation changes in 10 adults with major depressive disorder undergoing ketamine-assisted psychotherapy using two pre-treatment assessments (T1, T2) and one post-treatment assessment (T3). Participants received three...
Preprints.org
October 14, 2026
Domenico de Berardis, Tommaso Barlattani, Alessandro Carano et al.
preprint
Intranasal esketamine has been available for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) since 2019, but the trials that led to its approval answer only some of the questions prescribers face. About 97% of trial participants had failed only one or two antidepressant classes, and patients with bipolar disorder, psychosis, obsessive–compulsive disorder, four personality disorders, moderate-to-severe...
Australasian Psychiatry
October 13, 2026
Adam Bayes, Colleen Loo
ObjectiveThe ideas presented in this paper are based on a presentation at a festschrift event marking the retirement of Professor Gordon Parker from UNSW, Sydney. Drawing on Gordon's depressive subtyping approach and his critiques of a unitary view of major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression (TRD), we aim to (i) explore differing models of ketamine for TRD - biomedical...
Journal of Affective Disorders
October 12, 2026
Reinhard Janssen-Aguilar, Jithin Joseph, Huda Al-Shamali et al.
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) affects 30-60% of individuals with major depressive disorder and carries substantial morbidity and healthcare costs. Intravenous (IV) ketamine (KET) is a rapid-acting antidepressant, but benefits are often transient, prompting augmentation to sustain efficacy or improve tolerability. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled...
Asian Journal of Psychiatry
October 12, 2026
Gia Han Le, Sabrina Wong, Simryn Selby et al.
Ketamine is a rapid-acting antidepressant with demonstrated efficacy in major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression, yet the mechanisms by which its molecular actions translate into sustained clinical improvement remain incompletely understood. Prevailing models have emphasized N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonism and downstream glutamatergic signaling; however, convergent...
ANPAbstract_CBN26
October 7, 2026
Daniel Negrini Medeiros
Background: Major depressive disorder is a leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting nearly 300 million people. A substantial proportion of patients develop treatment-resistant depression (TRD), characterized by inadequate response to at least two antidepressant therapies. Ketamine has emerged as a promising therapeutic option due to its rapid antidepressant effects mediated through...