The American journal of geriatric psychiatry
December 1, 2022
H. Oughli, M. A. Gebara, A. Ciarleglio et al.
33 citations
Repeated intravenous ketamine infusions are well-tolerated and associated with improvements in depression and executive function in older adults aged 60 and older with treatment-resistant depression. In a pilot trial, 25 participants received ketamine twice weekly for four weeks, with partial responders continuing weekly infusions for four more weeks. Completion rates were high (88% acute, 100% continuation), with no serious adverse events or discontinuations due to side effects. Transient blood pressure elevation, dissociation, and craving occurred but were manageable. Depressive symptoms improved significantly, with 48% of participants responding. Executive function and overall fluid cognition also improved (Cohen's d = 0.61) and were sustained.
Translational Psychiatry
June 16, 2025
Ying Zhang, Lei Yang, Qiuyu Zhang et al.
6 citations
Psilocybin, a widely studied psychedelic, may help prevent suicide by interacting with specific proteins in the brain. Using computational methods, researchers identified 46 potential targets linking psilocybin to suicide treatment. Four key targets—HTR2A, HTR2C, HTR7, and PRKACA—showed strong binding to psilocybin. Enrichment analyses indicated that psilocybin might work by modulating serotonergic synapse and calcium signaling pathways. These findings suggest molecular mechanisms through which psilocybin could aid suicide prevention, providing a basis for further investigation.
BMJ open
June 27, 2025
Sijia Xia, Feng Chen, Wenju Wang et al.
This registered clinical trial protocol describes a four-arm, assessor-blind randomized controlled trial that will test whether combining aerobic exercise with meditation produces greater improvements in physical and cognitive function for people with cognitive frailty than either practice alone. Cognitive frailty is the simultaneous presence of physical frailty and cognitive impairment without dementia. One hundred forty qualified participants will be randomly assigned to aerobic exercise, meditation, combined aerobic exercise and meditation, or a health education control group for 12 weeks. Primary outcome is the Edmonton Frailty Scale; secondary outcomes include cognitive tests, physical performance, subjective experiences, brain MRI measures, and blood biomarkers. Assessments occur at baseline and after the intervention.