Ketamine for depression: all studies (page 5)

Ketamine improves ovarian function and oocyte quality in CORT-induced depression mouse model by ferroptosis pathway

Cell Death Discovery August 8, 2026 Yuqing Liu, Jiang Jiang, Yalong Wang et al.

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder, with a higher prevalence in women than in men, and has been increasingly associated with disturbances in female reproductive health. In particular, depressive conditions may impair ovarian function and compromise oocyte quality, thereby contributing to reproductive disorders. Ketamine is a clinically effective antidepressant. However, its potential...

DOI: 10.1038/s41420-026-03291-9 Full text

The molecular and neurochemical basis of altered intrinsic neural timescales in major depressive disorder: a multimodal imaging-transcriptomic investigation of esketamine and sertraline treatment

BMC Psychiatry August 5, 2026 Xiang Liu, Yuanzhi He, Lifeng Li et al.

Abstract Introduction Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by dysfunction in higher-order cortical regions involved in emotional and cognitive processes; however, its neurobiological basis remains unclear. Pharmacological treatments, including esketamine and sertraline, produce rapid antidepressant effects. We investigated the local intrinsic neural dynamics underlying these...

DOI: 10.1186/s12888-026-08477-0

New treatments for treatment-resistant depression: esketamine controversies - a narrative review.

Danish medical journal August 4, 2026 Maj Vinberg

This narrative review examines barriers to Danish patients' timely access to new treatments for treatment-resistant depression, focusing on controversies around esketamine. Delays arise from regulatory complexity, economic constraints and scientific debate over novel psychotropics. The review advocates evidence-based, faster implementation pathways for new treatments to alleviate the overall...

DOI: 10.61409/a02260078 Full text

Network Pharmacology Reveals the Potential Mechanism of Ketamine in Improving Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Depression.

Alpha psychiatry August 2026 Lei Yang, Qiuyu Zhang, Ying Zhang et al.

Ketamine may have antidepressant and anti-suicidal effects. However, the mechanism underlying ketamine-mediated improvement in cognitive impairment in patients with depression remains unclear. To improve patient cognition in depression using molecular docking and network pharmacology, we examined ketamine's key targets and identified its molecular mechanisms. To gain target information about...

DOI: 10.31083/ap56752 Full text Depression Ketamine Cognitive impairment Molecular docking +1

Low Dose Ketamine Preconditions Astrocyte Mitochondria to Achieve Antidepressant Efficacy via Adenosine, Humanin, and Melatonin Upregulation and Efflux.

Alpha psychiatry August 2026 George Anderson

Understanding the physiological changes induced by ketamine in mood disorders, while reducing its side effects, is likely to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the physiology underlying mood disorders, as well as to the development of faster-acting and more efficacious antidepressant treatments. An extensive review of the literature on ketamine and the pathophysiology of...

DOI: 10.31083/ap54760 Full text Ketamine Depression Nf-κb Stat3 +6

Real-world clinical practice, effectiveness and safety of esketamine nasal spray in major depressive disorder patients: a French prospective cohort (ELLIPSE study)

Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology August 1, 2026 Pierre-Michel Llorca, Anne Sauvaget, Emilie Olié et al.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent and associated with significant disability and mortality. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD), defined as inadequate response to ⩾2 antidepressant lines, remains a major therapeutic challenge. Esketamine nasal spray, approved in 2019 for TRD, demonstrated efficacy and safety in randomized trials, but real-world evidence remains...

DOI: 10.1177/20451253261463652

Comparative effectiveness and safety of esketamine versus injectable racemic ketamine and oral antidepressants for major depressive disorder: A population-based target trial emulation.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 1, 2026 Ching-Hua Julie Lee, Yunzhe Qian, Weiqun Yu et al.

This study evaluated the long-term comparative effectiveness and safety of esketamine versus injectable ketamine and esketamine versus oral antidepressants for major depressive disorder (MDD). This emulated target trial utilized observational data from a cohort of U.S. adults with MDD between 2018 and 2024. Patients were categorized into those receiving esketamine, injectable R,S-ketamine, and...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.121487 Full text Esketamine Major depressive disorder Treatment-resistant depression Outcomes +1

Role of concomitant benzodiazepines, lithium, and lamotrigine in modulating the antidepressant effects of subcutaneous esketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depressive episodes: A retrospective naturalistic study.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 1, 2026 João Paulo Atidio, Rodrigo Simonini Delfino, Igor Saque Garios et al.

Ketamine and esketamine have been increasingly used as adjunctive treatments for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), yet evidence on pharmacological interactions with commonly prescribed psychotropic medications remains limited. This study evaluated the association between concomitant lamotrigine, lithium, and benzodiazepine use and antidepressant outcomes during subcutaneous esketamine...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.121721 Full text Esketamine Treatment-resistant depression Benzodiazepine Lamotrigine +3

Ketamine for Depression in Serious Illness: Evidence, Safety, and Practical Approaches.

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management August 1, 2026 Paul Noufi, Joshua B Borris, Danielle Chammas et al.

Patients with serious illnesses and short prognoses often experience depression and suicidal ideation. Traditional antidepressants are limited by delayed onset, creating a need for rapidly acting therapies. In this Palliative Care Rounds, we examine the evidence for ketamine/esketamine's efficacy as antidepressants, including evidence specific to people with serious illnesses. In psychiatric...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2026.04.604 Full text Depression Ketamine Palliative care Psychopharmacology +1

Faster and greater antidepressant response to intravenous ketamine in bipolar compared with unipolar treatment-resistant depression: Diagnostic and sex-related findings from a naturalistic study.

Psychiatry Research August 1, 2026 Pietro Carmellini, Andrea Fagiolini, Mario Pinzi et al.

Intravenous ketamine has emerged as a rapid-acting antidepressant intervention that has shown promising effects in patients with treatment-resistant depression, although evidence remains heterogeneous and less well established across diagnostic subtypes. Nevertheless, real-world data comparing diagnostic subtypes and sex-related differences remain limited. This observational study examined the...

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117184 Full text Ketamine Treatment-resistant depression Mood disorders Precision medicine