Translational Psychiatry
May 9, 2023
Jared M. Kopelman, T. Keller, Benjamin Panny et al.
57 citations
A single intravenous infusion of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) in 98 adults with unipolar depression who had not responded to at least one antidepressant was associated with rapid changes in gray matter microstructure measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) 24 hours later. Greater decreases in DTI mean diffusivity, a marker of neuroplasticity enhancement, in several brain regions (left and right BA10, left amygdala) correlated with larger improvements in depression scores, particularly in the ketamine group. In the hippocampus, the relationship was reversed for one depression scale. The findings suggest that ketamine's acute antidepressant effects may involve rapid neuroplastic changes detectable with brain imaging.
Biological psychiatry global open science
July 1, 2024
Julia Aepfelbacher, Benjamin Panny, Rebecca B. Price
13 citations
Ketamine infusion strongly induced feelings of awe in people with depression, and these awe experiences consistently predicted and mediated improvements in depression scores over 1 to 30 days, unlike general dissociative effects, which did not mediate outcomes. In a study of 116 participants with depression, 77 received a ketamine infusion and 39 received saline placebo. Awe was measured 40 minutes after infusion, and depression severity was assessed at five time points afterward. Awe scores were significantly higher in the ketamine group and statistically mediated the relationship between ketamine and depression improvement at all time points, suggesting that the awe-inspiring properties of ketamine may contribute to its antidepressant effects.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 2, 2025
Mina Kheirkhah, Nastasia McDonald, Julia Aepfelbacher et al.
1 citation
Adding mindfulness, music, and a light-occluding eye mask during ketamine infusion for depression did not improve antidepressant effects compared to ketamine alone, but it enriched the subjective experience. Participants in the combined sensory intervention group reported deeper engagement, a stronger sense of connection to reality, increased focus, moments of relief from sadness, and feelings of awe and spiritual insight. However, four individuals in that group reported discomfort. The findings suggest that while the sensory interventions make the experience more meaningful for many, they may cause discomfort for a few, and making them optional could avoid this.