Synapse
May 1, 2026
Bridget Xu, Cassandra Carrasco, Yi‐Wen Chen et al.
ABSTRACT Anorexia nervosa is a deadly eating disorder marked by extreme food restriction, compulsive exercise, and severe weight loss. In a prior study using the activity‐based anorexia (ABA) animal model of anorexia nervosa, 30 mg/kg, but not 3 mg/kg, of ketamine reduced relapse vulnerability, measured as increased food intake, increased body weight (BW), and reduced excessive wheel running,...
Brain Research Bulletin
May 1, 2026
Ladina Philomena Gubser, Anna Stefania Trippel, Niklaus Zoelch et al.
Ketamine has been shown to modulate glutamate signaling in animals and may therefore have the potential to restore glutamate imbalances in the brain. Impaired glutamate homeostasis has been implicated in mental health disorders such as substance use disorders (SUDs). Thus, we investigated ketamine's potential to increase glutamate levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key region for the...
The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update
May 1, 2026
Patients with treatment‐resistant depression who received a series of treatments with ketamine or esketamine showed a substantial reduction in emergency department visits related to suicidality over a 6‐month period, a study has found. Study participants had a 56.7% response rate of depression symptoms following the acute phase of treatment.
Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science
May 1, 2026
Mario Bogdanov, Jason N Scott, Shiba M Esfand et al.
1 citation
Ketamine is increasingly used as a therapeutic option for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) due to its rapid antidepressant properties; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain elusive. Preclinical evidence suggests ketamine acts on neural pathways implicated in reward processing, but translational efforts have proven challenging due to a lack of paradigms allowing for...
Medicine
May 1, 2026
Hai-Lin Hu, Qi-Zhou Huang, Ping-Xia Xie
Esketamine, the S-enantiomer of ketamine, has emerged as a rapid-acting antidepressant with unique mechanisms. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on its clinical applications, safety, and regulatory status based on peer-reviewed literature published between January 2000 and March 2024, searched in PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Esketamine exerts its effects...
Science Advances
May 1, 2026
Anisul Arefin, Jihye Kim, Manas Pratim Chakraborty et al.
1 citation
A complex ensemble of neuromodulatory receptors orchestrates the many forms of synaptic plasticity that drive behavioral state changes, but an understanding of how such receptors functionally interact is limited. Here, we find that the antidepressant action of ketamine is dependent on both the receptor tyrosine kinase, tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB), and the G protein-coupled receptor,...
Cureus
May 1, 2026
Amalesh S Honnekeri
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) remains a significant clinical concern, particularly in patients who do not achieve adequate response with conventional antidepressant therapies. Ketamine and esketamine, which act on glutamatergic pathways, have been introduced into clinical practice as alternative therapeutic approaches within interventional psychiatry. This narrative review outlines key...
International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology
April 30, 2026
Dr. Dheerendra Kumar, Dr. Praveen Sachan, Dr. Piyush Verma
Aim This study aims to compare two treatment procedures (standard selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and rapid-acting therapies/specifically ketamine) for patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression along with evaluating the effectiveness of these approaches in alleviating symptoms and improving patient outcomes. Materials and Methods This study examined 80 patients suffering...
Psychiatria Polska
April 30, 2026
Bronisław Gębik, Katarzyna Bliźniewska-Kowalska, Piotr Gałecki
Od 2000 roku ketamina i jej enancjomery są badane pod kątem swojego działania przeciwdepresyjnego. W niniejszej pracy zostanie krótko podsumowana droga ketaminy od anestetyku do leku przeciwdepresyjnego. W tekście przedstawione zostaną najważniejsze mechanizmy jej działania a także działania jej metabolitów. Praca ta ma na celu opisać rolę konkretnych grup receptorów w aktywacji istotnych...
Brain Sciences
April 30, 2026
Nathan R Luzum, Marcia H. Mccall, Charlotte Talley Boyd et al.
Background/Objectives: A sub-anesthetic dose of ketamine has shown promise in reducing craving, withdrawal symptoms, and use of drugs such as alcohol, cocaine, and opioids among individuals with substance use disorders. Ketamine’s therapeutic potential for tobacco use is unknown. Here, we investigated a single sub-anesthetic dose among adults with tobacco use disorder who were not interested in...