Aleksandar Biorac

2 papers in the library · 17 citations · publishing 2024-2025

Papers

IN Esketamine and IV Ketamine: Results of a multi-site observational study assessing the effectiveness and tolerability of two novel therapies for treatment-resistant depression.

Psychiatry research October 1, 2024 Gilmar Gutierrez, Jennifer Swainson, Nisha Ravindran et al. 17 citations

Both intravenous ketamine and intranasal esketamine significantly reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in people with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. In a multi-site observational study of 53 patients, those receiving IV ketamine (26 patients, average age 52.8) and those receiving IN esketamine (27 patients, average age 43.9) showed similar improvements in depression severity and suicidal thoughts. Side effects were mild and temporary, with no significant difference in risk between the two treatments. The findings suggest both therapies are effective and well tolerated for treatment-resistant depression.

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116125 Full text Major depressive disorder Antidepressant effect Depressive symptoms Psychopharmacology +8

From model psychosis to rapid antidepressant: a historical and conceptual review of ketamine's psychiatric history.

Ther Adv Psychopharmacol December 11, 2025 Casimiro Cabrera Abreu, Aleksandar Biorac, Ross J. Baldessarini et al.

Ketamine, originally developed as a dissociative anesthetic and a tool for modeling psychosis, has been repositioned as a rapidly acting antidepressant for treatment-resistant depression. This narrative review traces its trajectory over six decades, drawing on historical sources, clinical trials, and regulatory documents. By the early 2000s, trials showed rapid and robust antidepressant effects, challenging older monoamine-based theories and spurring new models involving glutamate and neuroplasticity. Its dissociative effects, once seen as drawbacks, are now debated but evidence suggests they are not necessary for efficacy.

DOI: 10.1177/20451253251392429 Full text