BMC anesthesiology
December 5, 2024
Xing Lin, Xin Liu, Huoming Huang et al.
15 citations
A meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials involving 1068 adult surgical patients found that intravenous esketamine given during general anesthesia reduced the risk of postoperative delirium by 54% and postoperative cognitive dysfunction by 50%, with high to moderate certainty of evidence. Esketamine also improved cognitive status at 4, 24, and 48 hours after surgery, decreased intraoperative remifentanil use, and lowered the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting by 36%. These results suggest esketamine as a potentially beneficial adjunct to general anesthesia for protecting against perioperative neurocognitive disorders.
Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology
March 31, 2024
Si-Ying Li, Wen-Jun Shi, Dong-Dong Ma et al.
9 citations
Esketamine (ESK), the S-enantiomer of ketamine, alters behaviors and gene transcription in zebrafish larvae at environmentally relevant concentrations. At 12.4 ng L⁻¹, ESK reduced touch response at 48 hours post-fertilization and decreased swimming time and distance in the outer zone during light periods, suggesting reduced anxiety. ESK also increased transcription of dopamine pathway genes (th, ddc, drd1a, drd3, drd4a) and GABA pathway genes (slc6a1b, slc6a13, slc12a2). These results indicate that ESK can cause neurotoxicity in early-stage zebrafish by affecting heart rate, behaviors, and gene expression in dopamine and GABA pathways.
Journal of medical Internet research
May 23, 2025
Shu Jing, Zhenwei Dai, Xiaoyang Liu et al.
5 citations
A 6-week web-based mindfulness program, both conventional and neurofeedback-assisted, reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and fatigue among 147 nursing students in Beijing, China. The neurofeedback-assisted version produced larger short-term improvements in depression, anxiety, and mindfulness than the conventional version. However, at 1- and 3-month follow-ups, only anxiety symptoms remained significantly different between groups; other benefits were not sustained. The findings suggest that adding neurofeedback to online mindfulness can enhance immediate mental health benefits, but longer interventions may be needed for lasting effects.
Environmental science & technology
May 6, 2025
Si-Ying Li, Dongdong Ma, Wen-Jun Shi et al.
3 citations
Esketamine (ESK), a hallucinogenic new psychoactive substance found in surface waters worldwide, causes developmental toxicity and endocrine disruption in zebrafish. Zebrafish embryos exposed to low and medium concentrations (0.12 and 1.02 μg/L) showed increased embryo area, yolk sac size, and upregulated vitellogenin (vtg) gene expression, while the highest concentration (10.6 μg/L) produced opposite effects. After 14 days, ESK altered circadian rhythm, DNA repair, and estrogen signaling pathways, and elevated vitellogenin protein levels, consistent with its binding affinity for estrogen receptors. These findings indicate that environmentally relevant ESK concentrations pose ecological risks to fish.
European journal of anaesthesiology
January 29, 2026
Tiantian Chu, Xiaoling Peng, Keliang Wan et al.
2 citations
A single dose of esketamine given intravenously around the time of cesarean section, followed by 24 hours of low-dose esketamine in patient-controlled pain relief, reduced the overall incidence of postpartum depression within three months after childbirth in first-time mothers who were not already depressed. The total rate of postpartum depression was 11.59% in the esketamine group versus 20.89% in the saline control group. The benefit was most evident at 7 days postpartum, with no significant differences at 1, 2, or 3 months individually. Mild side effects like dizziness, hallucination, and dissociation occurred in some women. The treatment appears relatively safe and prevents postpartum depression in the short term.
Journal of medical Internet research
June 2, 2025
Shu Jing, Zhenwei Dai, Xiaoyang Liu et al.
1 citation
correction
This is a correction notice for a previously published article. It provides no new findings, arguments, or data.
Brain research bulletin
August 1, 2026
Rui Dong, Jiaxin Liu, Yumei Shen et al.
In a mouse model of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) that also shows anxiety-like behavior, esketamine (ES) given for five days dose-dependently reduced pain and anxiety. TN caused damage to neurons in the hippocampus and increased levels of the necroptosis pathway proteins RIPK1, RIPK3, and MLKL. ES treatment reversed these changes, protecting neurons and restoring dendritic spines. Adding a necroptosis activator blocked ES's effects, confirming that ES works by inhibiting the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL pathway. The findings highlight necroptosis as a key mechanism linking TN pain to emotional disorders and suggest ES could be repurposed as a treatment for both pain and anxiety in TN.