Radiology case reportsDecember 1, 2024Juan Felipe Betancur, Melina González Diaz Granados, Nancy Toro et al.3 citations
Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic drug, has gained popularity as a recreational substance, particularly among young adults. However, chronic ketamine abuse can lead to various complications including ketamine-induced cystitis. We present the case of a 46-year-old Caucasian male with a history of HIV infection and daily recreational ketamine use for 7 months, who was admitted to the emergency...
Acute pain management is a critical component of prehospital and emergency medical care. Opioids are effective; however, the risks and side-effects of opioids have led providers to use low-dose ketamine (LDK) for safe and effective treatment of acute pain. We conducted a scoping narrative review to explore the efficacy of LDK for the treatment of acute pain in the prehospital setting and...
Patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) mainly exhibit enduring adverse emotions, heightening susceptibility to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Notably, metabolites of ketamine, particularly (2R,6R)-hydroxyketamine (HNK), have demonstrated favorable antidepressant properties. However, the precise mechanism through which HNK exerts its therapeutic effects on negative...
Anxiety can be a protective emotion when animals face aversive conditions, but is commonly associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders when pathologically exacerbated. Drug repurposing has emerged as a valuable strategy based on utilizing the existing pharmaceuticals for new therapeutic purposes. Ketamine, traditionally used as an anesthetic, acts as a non-competitive antagonist of the...
This study investigates the effects of administering intravenous esketamine at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg to pregnant patients receiving epidural anesthesia for emergency cesarean section on both maternal and neonatal outcomes. Medical records of pregnant patients transitioning from labor analgesia to epidural anesthesia for emergency cesarean sections between January 2020 and December 2022 were...
Anhedonia induced by sustained stress exposure is a hallmark symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD) and in rodents, it can be accessed through the sucrose preference test (SPT). (R)-ketamine is a fast-acting antidepressant with less detrimental side effects and abuse liability compared to racemic ketamine. The present study combined high-throughput proteomics and network analysis to...
Anorexia nervosa (AN) has one of the highest mortality rates of all mental illnesses. No approved pharmacological treatments exist for AN, but novel neurobiological targets show promise. Studies show that in individuals with AN, there are alterations in brain neurotransmitter signaling, alongside associated mental rigidity and comorbid anxiety and depression. Available and new therapies could...
Mood disorders affect approximately one-third of individuals with epilepsy, posing an increased risk of suicide. There is an unquestionable need for more effective antidepressant treatment in this group of patients. This study explores the safety and tolerability of low-dose intravenous ketamine in six patients with comorbid depression and epilepsy. This report is limited to the post-hoc...
A large number of people worldwide grapple with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and a significant portion of them confront resistance to conventional antidepressant treatments. Esketamine, an innovative intervention, has garnered attention due to its rapid-acting antidepressant effects. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of esketamine in individuals with MDD and...
Arketamine, the (R)-enantiomer of ketamine, exhibits both therapeutic and sustained prophylactic effects in an inflammation-driven model of depression, although the precise mechanisms remain elusive. Given the involvement of γδ T cells in inflammatory processes, this study explored their role in the effects of arketamine. To assess therapeutic outcomes, mice received lipopolysaccharide (LPS:1.0...
Esketamine nasal spray (ESK) is approved, in conjunction with an oral antidepressant, for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression in adults and for the treatment of depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder with acute suicidal ideation or behavior. No adverse events (AEs) of respiratory depression were reported in ESK phase 3 clinical trials; however, postmarketing...
Esketamine (ESK), a noncompetitive antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, modulates neurotransmitter signaling in the central nervous system. However, the specific mechanisms and therapeutic potential of ESK for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether ESK promotes nerve repair and improves neurological outcomes in an experimental...
EJHaemDecember 1, 2024Ernesto Calderon Martinez, Stephin Zachariah Saji, Thomas Campos Carmona et al.2 citations
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by acute episodes called vaso-occlusive crises (VOC). VOC is marked by severe pain due to blocked blood vessels by sickled cells. Ketamine has been reported to be effective and safe in managing VOC in SCD patients. This review aims to determine ketamine's safety and efficacy through analysis of clinical trials and observational studies. Adhering to...
CureusDecember 1, 2024Aarman P Jivraj, Katherine A Heimer, Christopher J Wukovits et al.1 citation
This case study examines the novel application of Spravato (intranasal esketamine) to address treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in an 86-year-old patient. Notably, this represents one of the oldest documented individuals to be administered intranasal esketamine for a diagnosis of Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) alongside suicidal ideation. This case study contributes to...
Psychedelic-induced experiences are thought to play an important role in the therapeutic actions of rapid-acting antidepressants. General anesthesia is one scenario in which patients can be rendered unconscious and masked to the psychedelic treatment, providing a simple yet effective method to examine drug-induced changes in the brain devoid of experiences. Chronically stressed adult C57/BL6...
Depression and pain are common comorbidities in cancer patients, and ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, has shown potential in managing both. This review summarizes current literature on ketamine and its enantiomer, esketamine, in managing depression and pain in the oncologic population. Studies indicate that sub-anesthetic doses of intravenous ketamine and esketamine can alleviate...
Dissociative therapies are being increasingly explored for their psychiatric applications, although questions remain about how they work and how best to use them. In exploring these questions, this review highlights six key areas of clinical relevance: (1) The possible contributions of functional unblinding when interpreting efficacy data; (2) The degree to which the therapeutic effects of...
In 2023, the percentage of people in the US who experienced depression in their lifetime was at an all-time high of 29%. Depression causes considerable distress and functional impairment affecting quality of life, employment, and interpersonal relationships. Many patients fail to respond to treatment with antidepressants and psychological-behavioral therapy, resulting in a condition known as...
Psychedelic drug therapy has gained prominence for its potential in treating various mental health conditions, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety. Psychedelic treatment differs from conventional psychiatric approaches in mode of action, legal status, and treatment approach. This work delves into the therapeutic potential, mechanisms, and regulatory...
Abstract The individual efficacy and safety of intravenous racemic (IV) ketamine, psilocybin, and theta burst stimulation (TBS) for major depressive disorder have been demonstrated through meta‐analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), but the comparative usefulness of these novel treatments has not yet been fully examined. We systematically searched the CENTRAL, Medline, CINHAL, and...