The effects of ketamine and classic hallucinogens on neurotrophic and inflammatory markers in unipolar treatment-resistant depression: a systematic review of clinical trials.
European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience February 1, 2023 Giordano Novak Rossi, Jaime E C Hallak, Glen Baker et al. 14 citations
A systematic review of clinical trials examined whether the antidepressant effects of ketamine and classical hallucinogens (ayahuasca) in treatment-resistant depression are linked to changes in inflammatory and neurotrophic biomarkers. Twelve studies involving 587 participants were analyzed, including two with oral ayahuasca and ten with ketamine. Results across all measured biomarkers were contradictory and inconclusive. The authors conclude that larger randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether peripheral biomarkers can reliably indicate or measure the antidepressant effects of these substances.