Ketamine News and Research

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Evidence review questions ketamine’s role in chronic pain treatment

A Cochrane review assessed ketamine and other NMDA receptor antagonists for chronic non-cancer pain. The evidence was low to very low certainty, showing no clear pain relief and potential adverse effects with intravenous ketamine.

21 Aug 2025

New nanoparticle system uses ultrasound to precisely deliver drugs

The trouble with many drugs is that they go where they shouldn't, producing unwanted side effects. Psychiatric drugs might cause dissociation, painkillers can induce nausea and chemotherapy often damages healthy cells.

18 Aug 2025

Off-label ketamine use for chronic pain lacks scientific basis

The off-label use of ketamine to treat chronic pain is not supported by scientific evidence, a new Cochrane review has found.

18 Aug 2025

Psychedelic and non-hallucinogenic drugs promote neuroplasticity through shared pathways

Understanding exactly how psychedelics promote new connections in the brain is critical to developing targeted, non-hallucinogenic therapeutics that can treat neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases.

4 Aug 2025

Ketamine's antidepressant effects involve the brain's opioid system

Ketamine is a highly effective, fast-acting antidepressant that works even for patients who have not responded to other medications.

24 Jul 2025

Mount Sinai researcher uncovers how the brain and body interact in aging and depression

In a comprehensive Genomic Press interview published in Brain Medicine today, Dr. Hamilton Se-Hwee Oh reveals groundbreaking insights into the complex dialogue between our brains and bodies that fundamentally shapes aging, depression, and neurodegenerative disease.

22 Jul 2025

How can super-resolution technology help study neurotransmission?

Discover how super-resolution technology can be used to sudy neurotransmission at inhibitory synapses.

From Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology 17 Jul 2025

Non-prescribed ketamine use rises sharply across the UK

The rise in non-prescribed ketamine use across the UK in recent years is a cause for concern, say doctors in The BMJ today.

12 Jun 2025

Researchers prolong ketamine’s antidepressant benefits to two months

Roughly 10 percent of the U.S. population is afflicted with major depressive disorder at any given time, and up to 20 percent will exhibit MDD symptoms over their lifetimes.

22 May 2025

New brain network discovery could revolutionize depression diagnosis

In a comprehensive Genomic Press Commentary published today, researchers have identified what could be the first reliable biomarker for depression risk, potentially transforming how this devastating condition is identified and treated.

13 May 2025

New study exposes hidden dangers of ketamine addiction

Ketamine addiction is linked to high levels of physical health problems and psychological consequences, with nearly half of those affected not seeking support or treatment, new research has revealed.

28 Apr 2025

Study reveals the rising popularity of Tusi in NYC nightclubs

"Tusi", also known as "tucibí" or "pink cocaine", is a drug concoction that emerged in Latin America and Europe within the past decade and is becoming increasingly popular in the USA.

21 Apr 2025

Hallucinogen use linked to increased risk of mortality in emergency care patients

People seeking emergency care for hallucinogen use were at 2.6-fold higher risk of death within 5 years than the general population, according to a new study published in CMAJ.

3 Mar 2025

Researchers assess how isolation and alcohol exposure alter ketamine intake

Ketamine can effectively treat depression, but whether depressed patients with alcohol use disorder can safely use ketamine repeatedly remains unclear clinically.

24 Feb 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Medicaid in the crosshairs, maybe

The future of the Medicaid health insurance program for those with low incomes is in doubt, as Congress works on a budget plan calling for major cuts while President Donald Trump both promises to support that plan as well as to protect the program.

20 Feb 2025

Exploring ketamine's potential in the fight against treatment-resistant depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with a significant proportion of patients (10-20%) progressing to treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

19 Feb 2025

UVA receives $9.3 million NIH grant for ketamine seizure treatment trial

University of Virginia Brain Institute and School of Medicine researchers have received an initial $9.3 million award from the National Institutes of Health for a $30 million clinical trial to determine if the powerful anesthetic ketamine can save patients from prolonged, life-threatening grand mal seizures that won't respond to other treatments.

14 Feb 2025