Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews
July 1, 2024
Mina Kheirkhah, Allison C Nugent, Alicia A Livinski et al.
13 citations
Music and ketamine each influence therapeutic outcomes, yet their combined use is rarely studied. This scoping review maps existing research on administering music alongside ketamine or esketamine in humans. Studies include healthy volunteers and patients of various ages, using different doses and treatment processes, with music played at varying times relative to drug administration. Research on music during ketamine anesthesia is included, as anesthesia drove early ketamine use. Recreational ketamine studies are excluded. The review is limited to English-language articles with no year restriction. It is the first comprehensive overview of music and ketamine/esketamine interplay, offering guidance for future study design.
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
May 1, 2025
Mina Kheirkhah, Wallace C Duncan, Qiaoping Yuan et al.
6 citations
People with treatment-resistant depression show higher REM density in the first REM period and shorter REM latency than healthy volunteers, while total night REM density does not differ. Ketamine treatment reduces REM density in the first REM period but does not change total night REM density or REM latency. Baseline REM density in the first REM period moderately predicts whether a person will respond to ketamine, with higher levels indicating greater likelihood of response. This marker could help identify individuals most likely to benefit from ketamine therapy.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 2, 2025
Mina Kheirkhah, Nastasia McDonald, Julia Aepfelbacher et al.
1 citation
Adding mindfulness, music, and a light-occluding eye mask during ketamine infusion for depression did not improve antidepressant effects compared to ketamine alone, but it enriched the subjective experience. Participants in the combined sensory intervention group reported deeper engagement, a stronger sense of connection to reality, increased focus, moments of relief from sadness, and feelings of awe and spiritual insight. However, four individuals in that group reported discomfort. The findings suggest that while the sensory interventions make the experience more meaningful for many, they may cause discomfort for a few, and making them optional could avoid this.