Pilot studies have hinted that serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocybin may relieve depression, and could possibly do so by promoting neural plasticity. Intriguingly, another psychotomimetic compound, ketamine, is a fast-acting antidepressant and induces synapse formation. The similarities in behavioral and neural effects have been puzzling because the compounds target distinct molecular receptors in the brain. In this opinion article, we develop a conceptual framework that suggests the actions of ketamine and serotonergic psychedelics may converge at the dendrites, to both enhance and suppress membrane excitability. We speculate that mismatches in the opposing actions on dendritic excitability may relate to these compounds' cell-type and region selectivity, their moderate range of effects and toxicity, and their plasticity-promoting capacities.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2020.11.008 | DOI Listing |
J Pain Res
January 2025
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina (Cirurgia Geral), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) has become a public health problem, which is associated with high morbidity and mortality, due to the chronic complications, such as diabetic neuropathy. Current recommendations for the treatment of neuropathic pain achieve a reduction of 30% in only 30% of cases. Therefore, it is necessary to identify new therapeutic approaches to improve the quality of life of diabetic patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Psychiatry
January 2025
Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Section, NIDA, Baltimore (Levinstein, Budinich, Michaelides); Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona (Bonaventura); Neuropharmacology and Pain Group, Neuroscience Program, IDIBELL-Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona (Bonaventura); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford (Schatzberg); Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, NIMH, Bethesda (Zarate); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore (Michaelides).
Ketamine is a racemic compound and medication comprised of ()-ketamine and ()-ketamine enantiomers and its metabolites. It has been used for decades as a dissociative anesthetic, analgesic, and recreational drug. More recently, ketamine, its enantiomers, and its metabolites have been used or are being investigated for the treatment of refractory depression, as well as for comorbid disorders such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and opioid use disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPain Rep
February 2025
Pain Department, Cochin Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris Cité University, INSERM U987, Paris, France.
Pharmacological approaches are frequently proposed in fibromyalgia, based on different rationale. Some treatments are proposed to alleviate symptoms, mainly pain, fatigue, and sleep disorder. Other treatments are proposed according to pathophysiological mechanisms, especially central sensitization and abnormal pain modulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
January 2025
Nursing Department, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA.
Kidney stones typically present as renal colic in emergency departments (EDs), where patients experience severe pain and often require parenteral therapy for symptom management. The economic burden associated with managing kidney stones exceeds USD 5 billion annually in the US and accounts for more than a million visits to EDs each year. There is clear evidence emphasizing the need for innovative and alternative pain control options for patients with renal colic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Anesthesiol
January 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, Air Force Medical Center, No.30 Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100142, China.
Background: Sufentanil is commonly used to induce general anaesthesia due to its rapid onset of action, strong analgesic effect, long-lasting effect, and stable haemodynamics; however, it often induces cough, increasing the risk of anaesthesia. This study aimed to investigate the preventive effect of low-dose esketamine on sufentanil-induced cough.
Methods: This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study was conducted at the Air Force Medical Center between September 2023 and May 2024.
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