Frontiers in Psychiatry
October 18, 2021
A. Wilkowska, M. Wiglusz, M. Gałuszko-węgielnik et al.
35 citations
Anhedonia, a core symptom of depression linked to suicidality and reduced quality of life, often resists standard treatments. In 42 patients with treatment-resistant depression, eight ketamine infusions added to ongoing therapy significantly reduced anhedonia, as measured by the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale. This reduction in anhedonia appeared to mediate ketamine's overall antidepressant effect. However, the benefit was observed only among patients not using benzodiazepines. The findings require confirmation in a larger randomized placebo-controlled trial.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
August 1, 2021
A. Wilkowska, A. Włodarczyk, M. Gałuszko-węgielnik et al.
33 citations
In an open-label observational study, 13 patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression received eight intravenous infusions of 0.5 mg/kg ketamine over four weeks. After the seventh infusion, 61.5% responded and 46.2% achieved remission. Responders also showed a significant antisuicidal effect. Ketamine caused a transient rise in blood pressure and increased dissociative symptoms, but no manic switch or serious adverse events occurred. The findings suggest ketamine is a safe and feasible add-on treatment for this population.
Medicine
July 23, 2021
A. Włodarczyk, W. Cubała, M. Gałuszko-węgielnik et al.
23 citations
Intravenous ketamine as an add-on to standard medication shows a good safety profile in inpatients with treatment-resistant depression. In 49 patients with major depressive or bipolar disorder, dissociative symptoms measured by the Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS) varied significantly across eight infusions, while psychomimetic symptoms measured by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) did not. Both scores returned to absent levels within one hour after each infusion. Neither dissociative nor psychomimetic scores were linked to treatment outcome. The study provides no support for a connection between dissociation and antidepressant response.
JAMA Psychiatry
March 25, 2026
Wiesław Jerzy Cubała, Malek Bajbouj, Michael Bauer et al.
3 citations
A single day of treatment with an inhaled synthetic formulation of mebufotenin (GH001) significantly reduced depression symptoms in adults with treatment-resistant depression compared to placebo. In a randomized, double-blind trial of 81 patients, those receiving up to three escalating doses of GH001 showed an average 15.5-point greater improvement on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale by day 8 than those on placebo. Remission rates were 57.5% for GH001 and 0% for placebo. No severe or serious adverse events occurred. The findings suggest GH001 may be a rapid-acting, well-tolerated treatment option for treatment-resistant depression.