OPEN Foundation

Day: 23 March 2018

Ketamine for the treatment of major depressive disorder and bipolar depression: A review of the literature

March 23, 2018 / Depression, Ketamine, Papers, Psychology, Psychopharmacology, Publications / By / , , ,

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:
Over the past decade, ketamine has been studied for major depressive disorder and bipolar depression. Ketamine is believed to exert its antidepressant properties through N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonism.
METHODS:
Study authors completed a literature review of seven randomized controlled trials of ketamine usage in major depressive disorder and bipolar depression.
RESULTS:
Ketamine demonstrated a statistically significant improvement over placebo or midazolam in major depressive disorder. Ketamine also exhibited a statistically significant improvement over placebo in bipolar depression.
DISCUSSION:
Ketamine has shown promise in quickly reducing symptoms in patients with treatment resistant depression and bipolar depression. Using ketamine may be helpful for patients that have exhausted other therapeutic options.
Grady, S. E., Marsh, T. A., Tenhouse, A., & Klein, K. (2017). Ketamine for the treatment of major depressive disorder and bipolar depression: A review of the literature. Mental Health Clinician, 7(1), 16-23. 10.9740/mhc.2017.01.016
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Out of the box: A psychedelic model to study the creative mind

March 23, 2018 / Anxiety disorders / PTSD, Creativity, Depression, Medicine, Mushrooms / Psilocybin, Neuroscience, Papers, Psychopharmacology, Psychotherapy, Publications / By /

Abstract

Our creativity is challenged daily when facing new situations asking for novel solutions. Creativity, a multicomponent construct includes flexible divergent and rigid convergent thinking. Psychedelic drugs like psilocybin can enhance creativity and affect state of mind (mood, empathy, openness). Of note, flexible thinking is disturbed in psychopathological conditions like anxiety disorders and depression and preliminary findings have shown psychedelics to be efficacious in the treatment of those conditions. The question how psychedelics induce this state of enhanced flexible thinking remains to be answered and investigating the neurobiology underlying this phenomenon will not only help in understanding why psychedelics are of use in the therapeutic setting but also in other settings where flexible thinking is challenged. A model including neuronal networks, neurotransmitters and personal factors playing a role in this process will be proposed which can be put to the test by means of placebo-controlled pharmaco-imaging studies in healthy volunteers.

Kuypers, K. P. C. (2018). Out of the box: A psychedelic model to study the creative mind. Medical hypotheses, 115, 13-16.,  10.1016/j.mehy.2018.03.010

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30 April - Q&A with Rick Strassman

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