Bipolar depression is the most prevalent state throughout the life of the bipolar patient, even so, few studies have focused on the treatment of depression in this population. Between the available medications approved for treatment of bipolar depression, ketamine is an option that must be considered. The purpose of this paper was to review the scientific evidence on the efficacy of using...
Up to 50% of adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) fail to achieve remission after two or more monoaminergic antidepressants and meet criteria for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Low-dose intravenous ketamine, intranasal esketamine, and oral dextromethorphan represent the first glutamatergic treatments to exhibit rapid and robust efficacy in persons with TRD, yet their precise...
American Journal on AddictionsJanuary 28, 2026Mariana C De Oliveira, Cláudia C De Araujo Palmeira, André B Negrão et al.1 citation
Opioid use disorder (OUD) presents major challenges, especially when combined with chronic pain and psychiatric comorbidities. A 25-year-old woman with OUD, chronic pain, and major depressive disorder underwent an 8-week protocol of intravenous ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg weekly) as an adjunct to opioid tapering. Methadone dosage was reduced by 50%, with improved pain and craving control,...
BiologyJanuary 25, 2026Claire A. Rice, Robert W. Stackman
Ketamine (KET) administration protocols vary widely in their design, with acute, sub-chronic, and chronic dosing regimens used to induce psychotic-like behavior in rodent models. This review compares representative classic and contemporary studies employing differing KET administration protocols to model psychosis in laboratory rodents. Specifically, we have focused on the behavioral tasks and...
Up to eight infusions of ketamine were not more effective than a psychoactive placebo in reducing depressive symptoms in patients receiving inpatient treatment for depression, a randomized trial has found. Patients receiving ketamine also showed no improvement relative to those receiving midazolam on measures of cognition and quality of life. Study results were published online Oct. 22, 2025 in...
Comparing treatments for severe and medication-resistant depression is essential for guiding clinical decision-making. In this meta-analysis, we investigate the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) compared to ketamine for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and address the discrepant results of prior meta-analyses. We systematically searched PubMED (MEDLINE), Embase, and...
Critical CareJanuary 23, 2026Abdulrahman Ibrahim Alzmmam, Reema Fahad Alghanem, Asma Alshahrani et al.
Optimal pain and sedation management in intensive care unit (ICU) remains challenging. While opioids and benzodiazepines are widely used, their adverse effects highlight the need for alternative or adjunctive strategies. Ketamine, with its analgesic and opioid-sparing has been proposed as an adjuvant. However, current evidence regarding its efficacy in ICU patients, particularly within the...
Intravenous (IV) ketamine is an emerging intervention for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), yet the temporal dynamics of response and the optimal number of infusions remain unclear, particularly in real-world clinical populations with psychiatric comorbidities. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 209 adults with TRD treated with IV ketamine at an interventional psychiatry program....
The postpartum period is notorious for rapid and profound changes for birthing individuals and their families. Significant shifts to hormonal and physical health, routines and family roles, and the salience of personal and community risk factors all contribute to potential psychiatric and psychological distress for parents, sometimes diagnosed as a postpartum mood or anxiety disorder (PMAD)....
Introduction Transgender and gender-expansive people experience high rates of depression, anxiety, and trauma-related distress, yet few evidence-based interventions are tailored to their needs. Kindred is a novel, group-based ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) program that integrates cognitive processing therapy (CPT) to address identity-based trauma. Methods This mixed-methods pilot study...