Nature Communications
June 3, 2019
Farhan Ali, Danielle M. Gerhard, Katherine Sweasy et al.
201 citations
A subanesthetic dose of ketamine causes acute psychotomimetic symptoms and sustained antidepressant effects. In prefrontal cortex, the prevailing disinhibition hypothesis posits that N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists such as ketamine act preferentially on GABAergic neurons. However, cortical interneurons are heterogeneous. In particular, somatostatin-expressing (SST)...
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
June 1, 2019
Lijia Chang, Kai Zhang, Yaoyu Pu et al.
174 citations
The N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist (R,S)-ketamine produces rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant patients with depression although intranasal use of (R,S)-ketamine in ketamine abusers is popular. In March 5, 2019, nasal spray of (S)-ketamine for treatment-resistant depression was approved as a new antidepressant by the US Food Drug Administration....
May 14, 2019
Despite the exciting findings of high rates of response and remission following a single dose of ketamine, there are limited reports of the long-term safety and efficacy of ketamine. While the reported studies of low-dose (subanesthetic) ketamine for use in depression have not generated significant safety concerns, the field awaits further evidence of the long-term safety of ketamine. Concerns...
May 14, 2019
Ketamine was developed as an anesthetic and less potent form of phencyclidine (PCP) by Drs. Edward Domino and Calvin Stevens. The drug was termed a "dissociative anesthetic" in part because subjects became disconnected from their environment and in part because sensory inputs can reach cortical areas but are not always perceived in association areas. It was approved by the US Food and Drug...
May 14, 2019
Several studies have shown that ketamine can lead to a rapid reduction in suicidal ideation. Ketamine’s rapid effect on suicidal ideation seems at least partially independent of its antidepressant effect. Given the lack of long-term follow-up, the concern for long-term exposure to ketamine, and the transient nature of the effect of a single-dose of ketamine, more long-term data are needed...
May 14, 2019
Ketamine has emerged as the prototypical rapid-acting antidepressant. Early efficacy studies showed a high rate of response (64% to 71%) to a single dose of ketamine among individuals with treatment-resistant depression. Later clinical reports of the effectiveness of ketamine in clinical samples demonstrated a response rate of approximately 50%. This discrepancy between efficacy and...
May 14, 2019
Ketamine has been shown to rapidly improve mood within a few hours or days of administration. This effect can last for a week or more following a single administration of ketamine. The safety of long-term ketamine exposure is not well known. Future research is urgently needed to better understand long-term risks as well as evidence-based treatment regimens.
Physiology & Behavior
May 1, 2019
Kristofer J Schoepfer, Caroline E. Strong, Samantha K Saland et al.
Subanesthetic ketamine (KET) elicits rapid, robust, but transient antidepressant effects. KET's antidepressant actions can be augmented and maintained for a longer duration when repeatedly delivered. However, KET is recreationally abused, raising long-term treatment safety concerns. Women are more likely than men to seek treatment for depression, escalate from casual to compulsive drug use, and...
Molecular Neurobiology
May 2019
Wenyan Cui, Yuping Ning, Wu Hong et al.
Depression is a worldwide illness with a significant impact on both family and society. Conventional antidepressants are ineffective for more than 30% of patients. In such patients, who have what is called treatment-resistant depression (TRD), inflammatory biomarkers are expressed excessively in both the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral blood. Ketamine, a glutamate receptor...
Behavioural Brain Research
May 1, 2019
Wei Wang, Le Liu, Xiu Yang et al.
HighlightsSusceptible mice showed depressive‐like behaviors upon chronic social defeat stress.Plasma corticosterone concentration might predict susceptibility to chronic stress.Abnormal glucocorticoid receptor expression was associated with susceptibility.Ketamine exerted antidepressant effect via normalizing HPA axis response. &NA; Chronic stress is an important factor for depression. Most...