Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multifactorial mental health condition involving genetic, environmental, and neurobiological factors. Conventional antidepressants such as fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, require weeks to exert therapeutic effects, whereas ketamine and esketamine act rapidly via glutamatergic modulation. These drugs may also converge on the inhibition...
Depression is a common, debilitating, and potentially life-threatening mental disorder affecting individuals across all age groups and populations. It represents one of the major challenges of contemporary medicine. It is estimated that more than 300 million people worldwide are affected, and patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibit a significantly increased risk of suicide,...
Cancer patients frequently experience pain and depression, yet current guidelines address these conditions separately and do not recommend a single agent for concurrent management. Ketamine and its S-enantiomer esketamine, through N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonism and glutamate modulation, may offer dual benefit. This paper examined ten clinical studies published between 2018 and 2024...
Ketamine, known for its rapid-acting antidepressant effects, is often coadministered with other psychoactive drugs, including opioids and cannabinoids, in both clinical and recreational settings. We investigated whether ketamine (R-, S-, or racemic R, S-) isoforms alter the subjective effects of morphine or Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and whether the interoceptive effects of ketamine overlap...
Ketamine is a unique anesthetic agent that induces dissociative anesthesia, characterized by perceptual detachment, analgesia, and altered states of consciousness. Beyond its widespread use in anesthesia, subhypnotic ketamine dosing has emerged as a rapid-acting antidepressant and a valuable model for probing the neural mechanisms underlying consciousness and neuropsychiatric disorders. At the...
By Keith Jenkins · 2025 · Read by 49 — The K-Factor: A Paradigm Shift in Psychiatric Nursing and the Evolving Role of the Nurse in Ketamine Therapy in International Journal of Nursing and Health Care Research
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) remains a significant public-health challenge, with many patients failing to respond to conventional therapies. Ketamine has emerged as a rapid-acting intervention, but quantitative outcomes alone do not capture patients' lived experiences, which shape engagement, acceptability, and adherence. We conducted a narrative review of qualitative and mixed-methods...
Ketamine is a traditional anesthetic, which has attracted much attention in recent years for its rapid antidepressant effect. It has performed particularly well in the treatment of patients with intractable depression, marking major breakthrough in the area of mental illness treatment. However, with further research, its potential neurotoxicity has gradually emerged, especially in the case of...
Grande Medical JournalDecember 22, 2025Suraj Gyawali, Rajeeb Raj Thapaliya, Olita Shilpakar et al.
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic widely used in emergency medicine due to its preservation of airway reflexes and cardiovascular stability. A systematic review of studies published between 2000 and 2024 identified 18 relevant articles evaluating ketamine use in emergency settings. Sub-dissociative doses provide effective analgesia with opioid-sparing effects, while procedural sedation,...
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterised by altered perception of self, mood changes, and suicidal ideation. The traditional treatments of BPD, including psychotherapy, fail to provide an immediate response in susceptible patients. However, recent literature has shed light on the use of Ketamine as intervention for suicidal ideation in BPD patients, as well as for patients with...