Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with nearly one-third remaining treatment-resistant. Chronic stress is a major risk factor for MDD, whereas acute stress is adaptive and mediated by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation. Ketamine produces rapid antidepressant effects, partly through mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signalling,...
Application of psychedelics including ketamine may be important adjuncts in the treatment of alcohol and opioid use disorders. Most patients with alcohol or opioid use disorder (AUD/OUD) may present to the emergency department (ED) seeking care both for substance use and associated complaints. Understanding safety and preliminary efficacy of ketamine and other psychedelics to improve the care...
Ketamine (KET) addiction has already been a serious problem all over the world, which could induce neurological and psychological harm. Levo-tetrahydropalmatine (l-THP), a major alkaloid extracted from the Chinese medicinal plants Corydalis and Stephania, has been shown to attenuate ketamine (KET) induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in rats. Nevertheless, the precise mechanism remains...
Surgical stress can lead to postoperative anxiety and depression, especially in adolescents. These complications reduce quality of life and increase medical burdens, but perioperative psychological interventions for adolescents are limited, and related mechanisms remain unclear. Esketamine (S-ketamine), an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, has analgesic, sedative,...
Ketamine, a well-established antidepressant and dissociative anesthetic, is also used recreationally in the club and chemsex scene. Survey and qualitative data suggest that while ketamine facilitates chemsex encounters, it diminishes the intensity of the sexual experience. To investigate this phenomenon from a neuroscientific perspective while considering ketamine's sex-specific effects. Two...
Ketamine is a rapid-acting antidepressant with robust evidence, but unclear predictors of therapeutic response. Based on previous knowledge, hemodynamic parameters and acute altered state of consciousness have been hypothesized as potential correlates of subsequent antidepressant outcome. A post hoc analysis was performed using the data from an open-label study, in which 39 patients with...
Rapid-acting antidepressants show that mood can lift within hours when glutamatergic circuits shift from an "NMDA-dominant" to an "AMPA-dominant" state. Intravenous ketamine achieves this flip but is hampered by dissociation and logistics, while dextromethorphan + bupropion (Auvelity®) primarily supplies the initial NMDA blockade and yields slower, less durable benefit. We hypothesize that a...
Ketamine has emerged as a highly effective intervention for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Though it acts as a non-competitive antagonist of excitatory N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR), widely expressed in the brain, including on inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic cells, the mechanisms of its antidepressant action are less clear. To investigate the links between glutamate...
Ketamine, an N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonist, shows promise for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), with psychedelic doses potentially enhancing efficacy. However, its transient antidepressant effects and the need for repeated infusions raise concerns about optimal duration and long-term safety. Two clinical trials have tested the combination of ketamine with psychotherapy for depression,...
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe psychiatric condition characterized by positive symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions, as well as negative symptoms such as apathy, anhedonia and avolition. Given their chronic nature and limited response to current treatments, managing negative symptoms is a significant challenge for healthcare providers. Furthermore, many individuals with SCZ suffer from...