Journal of Education Health and Sport
September 24, 2024
Jakub Perłowski, Marek Miśkiewicz, Jakub Ptak et al.
2 citations
Recreational ketamine use, especially among young people in nightclubs, causes both acute and chronic toxic effects. Acute effects include psychotic symptoms, hallucinations, and aggression that can lead to serious injuries. Chronic use leads to intractable urological problems, neuropsychiatric issues, gastrointestinal problems such as abdominal pain, and liver function abnormalities. This review summarizes current evidence on these toxicities.
Journal of Education Health and Sport
April 5, 2025
Joanna Dmochowska, Marcin Ciechański, Joanna Cieszkowska et al.
1 citation
Depression affects 350 million people worldwide and is a leading cause of disability. Current monoamine-based antidepressants often have delayed effects and low efficacy, with over 60% of patients not achieving lasting remission. Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, has shown rapid antidepressant effects, particularly in treatment-resistant depression, by modulating the glutamatergic system, enhancing synaptic plasticity, and involving other systems like GABA and serotonin. Clinical trials demonstrate ketamine can reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation within hours, unlike traditional antidepressants that take weeks. The intravenous route is most effective. Ketamine's potential for addiction and side effects, including dissociative symptoms and cardiovascular issues, require careful monitoring.
Journal of Education Health and Sport
August 15, 2023
Karol Womperski, Rafał Bogacz, Magdalena Gaik et al.
1 citation
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common condition that can develop after traumatic events such as accidents, war, abuse, or domestic violence. Current treatments, combining trauma-focused psychotherapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are often insufficient. This review of literature from 2000–2023 found that MDMA (ecstasy)-assisted therapy shows promising results for treating PTSD, with a satisfactory safety profile. The improvement likely stems from MDMA's effects on brain regions involved in threat detection and emotion processing. More research is needed, especially direct comparisons with SSRIs and long-term safety assessments.
Journal of Education Health and Sport
June 22, 2026
Urszula Szuleta, Wiktoria Zawada, Krystian Kaczmarek et al.
Major depressive disorder often resists current treatments; a reanalysis of the STAR*D study found a cumulative remission rate of about 41% after up to four treatment steps. Ketamine and its derivatives have attracted attention for their rapid antidepressant effects, especially in treatment-resistant depression. This review summarizes evidence on their efficacy, safety, and clinical use. Ketamine appears promising due to its fast onset of action, and some evidence suggests it may reduce suicidal ideation in high-risk patients. However, the authors emphasize the need for further large-scale, long-term studies to clarify the durability of benefit and long-term safety.
Journal of Education Health and Sport
November 29, 2025
Natalia Dudziak, Zuzanna Drozd, Bartosz Niemiec et al.
Esketamine nasal spray rapidly reduces depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, with effects appearing within hours and lasting benefits. In the ASPIRE II trial, a dose of 84 mg outperformed placebo at 24 hours, with a 15.7-point versus 12.4-point reduction on the MADRS depression scale. Among 456 patients, response rates were 34.5% versus 25.3%, and remission rates were 20.4% versus 9.8% at 24 hours. Compared to quetiapine, esketamine achieved 27.1% versus 17.6% remission at week 8. Long-term data from 1,148 patients over 31.5 months showed 0.361 suicide attempts and 0.036 deaths per 100 patient-years. Common side effects include dizziness (38–47%), nausea (27–33%), and transient dissociation; 4–11% discontinued treatment.
Journal of Education Health and Sport
February 17, 2025
Urszula Kaczmarska, Michał Jakub Cioch, Julia Nowak et al.
Depression is a common mental illness affecting several percent of adults. This article reviews available knowledge on ketamine as a treatment for depression, covering epidemiology, etiology, side effects, and treatment methods. After over half a century without novel targets for major depressive disorder, ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression represent a promising breakthrough. The authors conclude that a new era of antidepressant strategies is imminent, and careful analysis of benefits and harms is needed.
Journal of Education Health and Sport
January 14, 2025
Wiktoria Podlasiewicz, Paweł Siudziński, Mateusz Łyko et al.
MDMA, a psychoactive substance with mild hallucinogenic properties, increases release of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin, enhancing neuroplasticity, empathy, and trauma processing. When combined with psychotherapy, it offers significant therapeutic benefits, particularly for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders who are resistant to conventional treatments. Emerging evidence suggests potential benefits for depression and eating disorders. While recreational use poses risks, controlled clinical use shows a favorable safety profile. Additional clinical research is needed to fully realize MDMA's potential in revolutionizing future treatments.
Journal of Education Health and Sport
May 15, 2024
Mateusz Pawlicki, Aleksandra Kłos, Karol Stachyrak et al.
Mental disorders are a growing global problem that significantly reduce quality of life and can lead to death. Current treatments are not always effective for complex cases, so new options are needed. Studies show that psilocybin lowers depression and anxiety scores in patients with major depressive disorders or serious life-threatening conditions, and this effect is long-lasting with little or no adverse side effects. Psilocybin is potentially a good treatment for depression in some patient groups, especially when other therapies show little effect.
Journal of Education Health and Sport
December 30, 2023
Karolina Wąsik, Sebastian Tomaszuk, Magda Wojtuś
Psilocybin, a representative psychedelic, shows a safety profile comparable to standard psychiatric drugs. Positive results on various psychiatric scales are clinically meaningful. Most research focuses on depression, the most common mental illness, but evidence also supports its use for trauma and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The review concludes that psilocybin merits further research, as psychedelic-assisted therapies may offer noteworthy opportunities in standard treatment and could become first-line therapy in some cases, though more data is needed.
Journal of Education Health and Sport
August 8, 2023
Anna Jaremek, Joanna Kępa, Norbert Kandefer et al.
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain fungi, shows promise as a treatment for depression, a common mental health condition that often resists existing therapies. Clinical trials indicate that psilocybin, when combined with psychotherapy, can produce rapid and lasting reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms. The compound alters brain activity, particularly in the default mode network and prefrontal cortex, reducing self-focused thinking, increasing positive emotions, and promoting neuroplasticity. Symptom improvements from psilocybin are largely equivalent to those from standard antidepressants. Preclinical research also suggests psilocybin may enhance neural plasticity and neurogenesis, hinting at broader applications in neurosurgery and neurooncology.