The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 9, 2026
Mostafa El Mansari, Naomichi Okamoto, Pierre Blier
Abstract Background Low-dose racemic ketamine enhances the firing rate and burst activity of rat norepinephrine neurons in the locus coeruleus, as well as the population activity of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area [El Iskandrani et al, 2015]. These brainstem monoamine nuclei densely innervate the prefrontal cortex (PFC), whereas clinical studies have shown a facilitation of...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 9, 2026
Claudio Agnorelli, Joseph Peill, Danielle Kurtin et al.
Abstract Background Clinical studies have shown that ketamine and classic psychedelics can produce robust and rapid antidepressant effects after a single or a few administrations. However, the neurobiological mechanisms driving these long-lasting changes remain unclear. A leading framework proposes that both drug classes induce sustained increases in neuroplasticity, potentially reshaping...
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
September 9, 2026
A Solomon, Y Domany
Abstract Background A critical gap exists in understanding the biological mechanism linking ketamine’s rapid anti-suicidal effects to the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS). While the "Kinetic Mismatch" between acute relief and delayed synaptogenesis is well-known, current models overlook how ketamine modulates “Thwarted Belongingness” (a core IPTS pillar) and the attachment anxiety that...
Psychoanalytic Inquiry
September 8, 2026
Allen Kalpin
In recent years, researchers have demonstrated that the dissociative anesthetic ketamine provides therapeutic benefits for depression and other mental health problems, and when combined with psychotherapy, it is considered a type of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. In this article, I first review the main issues surrounding ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and then describe the psychodynamic...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
September 8, 2026
Tomokazu Tsurugizawa, Aya Takemura
preprint
A single injection of a subanesthetic dose of ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, induces schizophrenia-like behavior in mice. Previous studies investigated the effect of single injection of ketamine on behavior and c-Fos expression in mice dose-dependently. However, there has not been functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to investigate the effect of ketamine in mice. Here, we...
Research Square
September 7, 2026
Jennifer L Phillips, Ifeoluwa Olaoluwa, Areebah Ahmed et al.
preprint
Abstract Metabolic, inflammatory, and neurotrophic measures may provide complementary insight into biological heterogeneity underlying treatment-resistant depression and response to ketamine-based treatments. However, biomarker studies of ketamine treatment have focused on individual markers or biological domains, most commonly inflammatory or neurotrophic, while metabolic measures remain...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
September 7, 2026
Sabrina Wong, Gia Han Le, Simryn Selby et al.
Extant literature indicates mitochondrial dysfunction may contribute to the pathophysiology of depressive disorders. Preclinical data indicate that anesthetic doses of ketamine are associated with deficits in mitochondrial viability and function. Ketamine and esketamine have demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects in persons with difficult-to-treat depressive disorders. Herein, we aim to...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
September 6, 2026
Adam Dawoud, Achla Gupta, Ivone Gomes et al.
preprint
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) continues to be a pressing public health crisis, marked by high relapse rates and limited treatment options. Ketamine, a non-competitive N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, has emerged as a promising therapeutic for numerous psychiatric illnesses due to its robust antidepressant properties and glutamate-mediated synaptic plasticity. However, ketamine's...
The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
September 6, 2026
Balwinder Singh, Siamak MahmoudianDehkordi, Jennifer L. Vande Voort et al.
OBJECTIVE: Ketamine is a rapid-acting antidepressant with an incompletely understood mechanism of action. Pharmacometabolomics can identify pathways underlying its effects and response variability. Using data from the Bio-K trial (NCT03156504), a multisite open-label study, we characterised metabolomic signatures of intravenous (IV) racemic ketamine in adults with treatment-resistant depression...
Annals of Palliative Medicine
September 3, 2026
Danielle B Tometich, Christina L Hersh, Matthew A Murphy et al.
Background: Given the growing population of patients living with metastatic cancer, palliative care providers need every available tool for symptom management. We conducted a rapid review of the literature on palliative uses of ketamine for pain and depression in people with cancer. Methods: We systematically searched for studies published since 2015 that examined palliative uses of ketamine in...