Depression is a prevalent mental disorder, affecting approximately 300 million people worldwide. Despite decades of research into the underlying mechanisms of depression, a consensus remains elusive. Recent studies have implicated changes in oligodendrocytes and myelin in the pathogenesis of depression. Conventional antidepressants may alleviate symptoms within weeks of use, but approximately...
Subanesthetic ketamine is a rapidly acting antidepressant, yet the effects of ketamine on cognitive function are inconsistent. The primary objective of this study was to explore the effects of esketamine on memory function and plasma levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) in patients with depression. A total of 132 patients with depression completed six intravenous esketamine infusions (0.4 mg/kg)...
Ketamine has gained prominence as one of the most effective therapeutic options in unipolar treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, most studies related to the antidepressant action of ketamine used intravenous (IV) or intranasal (IN) administration. The subcutaneous (SC) route of administration is a promising alternative, as it results in plasma levels comparable to IV, causes fewer...
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest. Ketamine has been widely used to treat MDD owing to its rapid effect in relieving depressive symptoms. Importantly, not all patients respond to ketamine treatment. Identifying sub-populations who will benefit from ketamine, as well as those who may not, prior to treatment initiation, would...
Anxiety disorders and treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD) are often comorbid. Studies suggest ketamine has anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. To investigate if subcutaneous racemic ketamine, delivered twice weekly for 4 weeks, reduces anxiety in people with TRD. The Ketamine for Adult Depression Study was a multisite 4-week randomised, double-blind, active...
Ketamine is a promising therapy for treatment-resistant depression due to its rapid onset, although benefits are often transitory, with patients needing maintenance therapy to prevent relapse. Most data supporting ketamine for treatment-resistant depression refers to the intravenous route of administration, leaving alternative routes lacking in data, especially as maintenance regimens....
CNS Spectrums2025Ana Rodríguez Lorente, María Pilar Campos-Navarro, Ángela Gil Montoya et al.
Abstract Objectives This proof-of-concept study aimed to assess the impact of intranasal esketamine (ESK-IN) in brain volume and neurofilament light chain (sNfL) over 6-months in patients with treatment resistant depression (TDR). Methods Seven TRD patients received ESK-IN while continuing oral antidepressants. Clinical evaluations were conducted at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months, with MRI scans...
Abstract Depression is the leading cause of suicide, and antidepressants and modified electroconvulsive therapy (mECT) are the preferred treatment modalities. Ketamine is an established anesthetic agent and evidence for its use in depression is evolving. Here, we discuss the experience of treating severe depression with intravenous (IV) ketamine. A patient in his mid-forties presented with a...
Major depressive disorder (MDD) significantly impairs adolescents' development, with increasing rates of treatment resistance and suicide risk. Ketamine has emerged as a promising, rapid-acting antidepressant in adults, but its efficacy and safety in adolescents remain unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate short-term outcomes of ketamine administration in youth...
Clinical and preclinical studies increasingly support the antidepressant potential of several anesthetic agents, including ketamine, propofol, nitrous oxide (N2O), sevoflurane, and isoflurane. Their therapeutic effects appear to arise from the regulation of multiple interconnected systems: modulation of glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling, interaction with monoaminergic neurotransmitters...