Psychiatry research
October 1, 2024
Gilmar Gutierrez, Jennifer Swainson, Nisha Ravindran et al.
17 citations
Both intravenous ketamine and intranasal esketamine significantly reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in people with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. In a multi-site observational study of 53 patients, those receiving IV ketamine (26 patients, average age 52.8) and those receiving IN esketamine (27 patients, average age 43.9) showed similar improvements in depression severity and suicidal thoughts. Side effects were mild and temporary, with no significant difference in risk between the two treatments. The findings suggest both therapies are effective and well tolerated for treatment-resistant depression.
Therapeutic advances in drug safety
January 1, 2025
Gilmar Gutierrez, Gustavo Vazquez, Nisha Ravindran et al.
5 citations
Intranasal esketamine, used for treatment-resistant depression, does not appear to carry significant abuse liability during an acute course of treatment. In a secondary analysis of a multicenter observational study, 23 patients with major depressive disorder reported neutral liking and no cravings for esketamine after their first dosing session, and these measures did not increase over eight sessions. Neither age, sex, baseline depression severity, side effects, nor study site influenced liking or cravings. The findings align with existing literature suggesting that acute esketamine treatment is not associated with high drug liking or cravings, though larger studies are needed.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
July 16, 2024
André Do, Vanessa Michaud, Jean-François Stephan et al.
3 citations
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) may be safe when given alongside certain serotoninergic antidepressants, and stopping those antidepressants before treatment might not be required. In an adult with difficult-to-treat depression who took duloxetine and vortioxetine, a first PAP session with both drugs produced a partial response. After he discontinued duloxetine but kept vortioxetine, his anxiety and depression worsened. Psilocybin was well tolerated in both sessions; mild headaches were the main adverse effect, with no cardiovascular concerns. This single case suggests that combining psilocybin with serotoninergic antidepressants appears safe and that antidepressant discontinuation prior to PAP may be unnecessary, potentially improving treatment accessibility.
Journal of Affective Disorders
October 31, 2025
André Do, Laurence Cloutier, Lydia Hébert‐tremblay et al.
1 citation
The therapeutic value of psilocybin for treating depression in bipolar disorder remains uncertain, as its efficacy and safety have not been established. Future research is necessary to determine whether psilocybin can be a viable treatment option for bipolar depression.