Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
1 paper
Research shows ketamine can lift low mood and depression faster than standard antidepressants for some people. Many clinical trials report rapid improvements, often within hours to a day, especially in people whose depression did not improve on usual medicines. However, effects after a single dose often fade over days to weeks, and scientists are still studying how to give ketamine safely over the long term. Scientists have good short-term evidence for ketamine and for a related nasal drug called esketamine. At the same time, researchers warn about common short-term side effects, unclear long-term risks, possible misuse, and gaps in understanding exactly how ketamine works in people. More large and longer studies are needed to answer these questions.
This paper looks at studies that use transcranial magnetic stimulation and ketamine together to treat depression that has not improved with usual treatments. It notes that each method can reduce depressive symptoms on its own. Some recent research suggests that giving them together might make the benefits stronger and last…
