ketamine
Spotlight: Yale presents “New Insights into the Neural Mechanisms of NMDA Receptor Antagonists Driving Rapid-Acting Antidepressant Effects” (Cichon, 2026)
"ketamine works on depression within minutes of infusion, lasting multiple days, if not weeks... amazing that it was classified as an anesthetic... twice as good as SSRI standards of care... leads to new formation of synapse, underlying sustaining mechanisms..."
ketamine
Spotlight: Intermittent ketamine and neuromodulation treatment evoke synergistic antidepressant-relevant action (Brown, et al, 2025)
"The rapid response that can be observed following ketamine treatment has reconceptualized how pharmacotherapy can treat depression. One subanesthetic infusion can alleviate symptoms within hours; however, sustained relief also requires multiple doses. "
opiod system
Spotlight: Antidepressants and the endogenous opioid system (Fricker, et al, 2025)
"A growing body of evidence links the opioid system w/ major depressive disorder... two different widely used antidepressants, tianeptine & ketamine, both interact with MOR; tianeptine as a full agonist, ketamine as a positive allosteric modulator. Both produce antidepressant effects within days."
