International clinical psychopharmacology
September 1, 2023
Mauro Scala, Giuseppe Fanelli, Diana De Ronchi et al.
40 citations
Mood disorders are long-lasting conditions with inconsistent remission rates. Standard antidepressants fail many patients, cause side effects like weight gain and sexual problems, and act slowly. Newer drugs aim to work faster, with fewer side effects, and target symptoms poorly addressed by older medications, such as anhedonia, suicidal thoughts, insomnia, cognitive deficits, and irritability. These agents act on glutamate, GABA, orexin, and other receptors, offering more pharmacodynamic variety to personalize treatment. This review covers the clinical profiles of nine novel compounds—including psilocybin, esmethadone, and zuranolone—to help clinicians weigh benefits and risks for patients with different mood disorder symptoms and comorbidities.
International clinical psychopharmacology
May 1, 2025
Vincenzo Cardaci, Matteo Carminati, Mattia Tondello et al.
7 citations
Postpartum depression is increasingly recognized as distinct from major depressive disorder, with unique causal factors including hormone fluctuations (estrogen, progesterone, allopregnolone), pathway imbalances (oxytocin, kynurenine), chronobiological factors, and brain imaging alterations. Treatment approaches are expanding beyond traditional antidepressants like sertraline to include newly approved neurosteroids brexanolone and zuranolone, with others under development. Esketamine, psychedelics, brain stimulation, and light therapy also show benefit. Individualized pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies are being introduced into routine clinical practice.
International clinical psychopharmacology
September 1, 2023
Nicolas Garel, Michka Nazon, Kamran Naghi et al.
7 citations
A Canadian patient with severe, prolonged treatment-resistant depression who was actively requesting Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) experienced remission after a course of intravenous ketamine infusions. This is the first reported case of any intervention yielding remission in a patient who would otherwise likely have been eligible for MAiD for depression. The case raises questions about evaluating MAiD requests for psychiatric disorders, particularly regarding the definition of irremediability—whether a patient lacks any reasonable prospect for recovery. The authors suggest that a trial of ketamine warrants consideration in similar cases.