Repurposing Ketamine in Depression and Related Disorders: Can This Enigmatic Drug Achieve Success?
Frontiers in Neuroscience April 30, 2021 E. Carboni, A. Carta, Elena Carboni et al. 28 citations
Ketamine, originally an anesthetic, is being repurposed as a fast-acting antidepressant for treatment-resistant depression, sparking interest in its mechanism of action and potential to reveal the etiology of depression. This review covers its clinical use in depression and suicidal behavior, potential pediatric applications, mechanism of action, involvement of specific brain areas, interaction with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, effects on neuronal transmission in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, gender-dependent effects, interaction with inflammatory processes, effects of single versus repeated administration, and adverse cognitive effects or abuse potential. It assesses whether ketamine's use can improve understanding of depression's etiopathology and whether its therapeutic effect constitutes an actual cure rather than symptom control.