Alexander McGirr

2 papers in the library · 118 citations · publishing 2020-2024

Papers

The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) Task Force Recommendations for the Use of Racemic Ketamine in Adults with Major Depressive Disorder: Recommandations Du Groupe De Travail Du Réseau Canadien Pour Les Traitements De L’humeur Et De L’anxiété (Canmat) Concernant L’utilisation De La Kétamine Racémique Chez Les Adultes Souffrant De Trouble Dépressif Majeur

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry November 11, 2020 Jennifer Swainson, Alexander McGirr, Pierre Blier et al. 109 citations

A systematic review by the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments evaluated evidence for racemic ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. Single intravenous infusions have Level 1 evidence for efficacy in adults, while multiple or maintenance infusions have only Level 3 evidence. Adverse events include dissociative symptoms and hypertension. Non-IV formulations have Level 3 or 4 evidence. Single-dose IV racemic ketamine is a third-line recommendation; repeated use requires careful case-by-case risk-benefit assessment. Oral and other formulations should be limited to specialists with ketamine expertise at tertiary centers due to limited evidence and risk of misuse.

DOI: 10.1177/0706743720970860 Ketamine Anxiety Major depressive disorder Treatment-resistant depression +8

Existence of multiple transitions of the critical state due to anesthetics.

Nature communications August 15, 2024 Davor Curic, Donovan M Ashby, Alexander McGirr et al. 9 citations

Brain activity during quiet wakefulness exhibits scale-free patterns of coordinated neuronal firing, thought to reflect a universal operating mechanism. This study examined how three common anesthetics—isoflurane, pentobarbital, and ketamine—at multiple doses alter these patterns in the mouse cortex using calcium imaging. Low doses largely preserved scale-free statistics, but surgical-plane anesthesia disrupted critical avalanche dynamics, producing multiple abnormal modes. The findings reveal distinct pathways away from the default critical state, depending on the anesthetic and individual responses, suggesting a complex relationship between criticality and consciousness.

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51399-2 Full text Neuroscience Anesthesia Brain activity Consciousness +1