Psychedelic Medicine

Association

The potential of ketamine for posttraumatic stress disorder: a review of clinical evidence

Excerpts from the publication

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a devastating condition, for which there are few pharmacological agents, often with a delayed onset of action and poor efficacy. Trauma-focused psychotherapies are further limited by few trained providers and low patient engagement. This frequently results in disease chronicity as well as psychiatric and medical comorbidity, with considerable negative impact on quality of life. As such, off-label interventions are commonly used for PTSD, particularly in chronic refractory cases. Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NDMA) receptor antagonist, has recently been indicated for major depression, exhibiting rapid and robust antidepressant effects. It also shows transdiagnostic potential for an array of psychiatric disorders. Here, we synthesize clinical evidence on ketamine in PTSD, spanning case reports, chart reviews, open-label studies, and randomized trials. Overall, there is high heterogeneity in clinical presentation and pharmacological approach, yet encouraging signals of therapeutic safety, efficacy, and durability. Avenues for future research are discussed.

Read more

Psychedelic-Assisted Group Therapy: A Systematic Review

Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder

Tripping to Cope: Coping Strategies and Use of Hallucinogens during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Three Cultural Contexts

Ketamine for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders: comprehensive systematic review

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, Psilocybin and Dimethyltryptamine in Depression Treatment: A Systematic Review

Direct comparison of the acute effects of lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects