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Frontier mental health research: psychedelics & drug studies

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.

Mental Health Research Topics Alternative medicine

6 papers

Efficacy of Esketamine Nasal Spray Plus Oral Antidepressant Treatment for Relapse Prevention in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression

Ella Daly, Madhukar H. Trivedi, Adam Janik, Honglan Li, Yun Zhang, Xiang Li, et al.
JAMA Psychiatry Summary & key facts 2019 726 citations

This phase 3, double-blind trial tested whether continuing esketamine nasal spray plus an oral antidepressant could delay relapse in adults with treatment-resistant depression who had already improved after an initial esketamine course. Of 297 patients who entered the randomized phase, continuing esketamine reduced relapse compared with switching to placebo nasal…

Mental Health Research Topics Treatment of Major Depression Tryptophan and brain disorders

Single, Repeated, and Maintenance Ketamine Infusions for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Jennifer L. Phillips, Sandhaya Norris, Jeanne Talbot, Meagan Birmingham, Taylor Hatchard, Abigail Ortiz, et al.
American Journal of Psychiatry Summary & key facts 2019 396 citations

Repeated ketamine infusions have cumulative and sustained antidepressant effects. Reductions in depressive symptoms were maintained among responders through once-weekly infusions. These findings provide novel data on efficacious administration strategies for ketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Future studies should further expand on optimizing administration to better translate the use of…

Mental Health Research Topics Treatment of Major Depression Tryptophan and brain disorders

A randomized, double-blind, active placebo-controlled study of efficacy, safety, and durability of repeated vs single subanesthetic ketamine for treatment-resistant depression

Paulo Shiroma, Paul Thuras, Joseph Wels, C. Sophia Albott, Christopher R. Erbes, Susannah J. Tye, et al.
Translational Psychiatry Summary & key facts 2020 104 citations

This randomized, double-blind trial tested whether six low-dose ketamine infusions over 12 days worked better than a single ketamine infusion for people with treatment-resistant depression. At 24 hours after the last infusion, there was no significant difference in clinician-rated depression scores between the group that received six ketamine infusions and…

Mental Health Research Topics Treatment of Major Depression Tryptophan and brain disorders

An East Meets West Approach to the Understanding of Emotion Dysregulation in Depression: From Perspective to Scientific Evidence

Ye, Jiajia, Cai, Shuhe, Cheung, Wai Ming, et al.
www.frontiersin.org Summary & key facts 2019 33 citations

This is a theoretical review that looks at depression from both Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It says depression is an emotion regulation disorder and is common worldwide. The paper reviews ideas from both systems and suggests possible brain and body pathways that could link TCM concepts of…

Mental Health Research Topics Stress Responses and Cortisol Tryptophan and brain disorders

Current Understanding on Psilocybin for Major Depressive Disorder: A Review Focusing on Clinical Trials

Sheng‐Min Wang, Sunghwan Kim, Won-Seok Choi, Hyun Kook Lim, Young Sup Woo, Chi‐Un Pae, et al.
Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience Summary & key facts 2023 13 citations

This review looked at published clinical trials of psilocybin for depression. It found 11 trials (six open‑label and five double‑blind randomized trials) that report rapid antidepressant and anti‑anxiety effects in some patients. The paper describes how psilocybin acts on serotonin 5‑HT2A receptors, may boost brain plasticity, and may lower brain…

Mental Health Research Topics Psychedelics and Drug Studies Tryptophan and brain disorders

Single, Repeated, and Maintenance Ketamine Infusions for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Jennifer L. Phillips, Sandhaya Norris, Jeanne Talbot, Meagan Birmingham, Taylor Hatchard, Abigail Ortiz, et al.
FOCUS The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry Summary & key facts 2020 8 citations

(Reprinted with permission from The American Journal of Psychiatry 2019; 176:401-409).

Mental Health Research Topics Treatment of Major Depression Tryptophan and brain disorders
Summaries and links are for general information and education only. They are not a substitute for reading the original publication or for professional medical, legal, or other advice. Always refer to the linked source for the full study.