References from 2026 Presentations

Aleksandrova, L. R., & Phillips, A. G. (2021). Neuroplasticity as a convergent mechanism of ketamine and classical psychedelics. Trends in pharmacological sciences, 42(11), 929–942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tips.2021.08.003 

Davis, A. K., Mangini, P., & Xin, Y. (2021). Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for trauma-exposed patients in an outpatient setting: A clinical chart review study. Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 5(2), 94-102. https://doi.org/10.1556/2054.2021.00179

Dore, J., Turnipseed, B., Dwyer, S., Turnipseed, A., Andries, J., Ascani, G., Monnette, C., Huidekoper, A., Strauss, N., & Wolfson, P. (2019). Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Patient Demographics, Clinical Data and Outcomes in Three Large Practices Administering Ketamine with Psychotherapy. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 51(2), 189–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2019.1587556 

Guss, J., Krause, R., & Sloshower, J. (2020, August 13). The Yale Manual for Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy of Depression (using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Therapeutic Frame). https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/u6v9y 

Mathai, D. S., Mora, V., & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2022). Toward Synergies of Ketamine and Psychotherapy. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 868103. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.868103

Rothärmel, M., Mekaoui, L., Kazour, F., Herrero, M., Beetz-Lobono, E. M., Lengvenyte, A., Holtzmann, J., Raynaud, P., Cuenca, M., Bulteau, S., De Maricourt, P., Husson, T., Olié, E., Gohier, B., Sauvaget, A., Gaillard, R., Richieri, R., Szekely, D., Samalin, L., Guillin, O., … Berkovitch, L. (2026). Trauma re-experiencing episodes during esketamine treatment in patients with treatment-resistant depression and comorbid PTSD: a retrospective case series. European journal of psychotraumatology, 17(1), 2609425. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2025.2609425 

Vollenweider, F. X., & Kometer, M. (2010). The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 11(9), 642–651. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2884 

Active mechanisms of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy: A systematic review
From 2022 review of 5 studies, which they cite as a limit of the findings - “Evidence suggests that temporary neural changes caused by ketamine such as n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) inhibition and increase of synaptic neuroplasticity affect treatment outcomes of KAP. Based on reports of preliminary findings, we speculate that adjunct psychotherapy, changes in perspective, and spirituality may also play a role.” We need more research and large scale studies.
Isak Joneborg, Yena Lee, Joshua D. Di Vincenzo, Felicia Ceban, Shakila Meshkat, Leanna M.W. Lui, Farhan Fancy, Joshua D. Rosenblat, Roger S. McIntyre, Active mechanisms of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy: A systematic review, Journal of Affective Disorders, Volume 315, 2022, Pages 105-112, ISSN 0165-0327, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.07.030. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032722007984)
Sublingual Ketamine for Depression and Anxiety: A Retrospective Study of Real-World Clinical Outcomes
From 2024 (pre-print) Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of repeated at-home ketamine treatments for depression, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety and assess safety in terms of adverse effects and tendency towards long-term use...Conclusions: Repeated sublingual ketamine significantly reduced depression, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety with no major adverse events and minimal tendency towards long-term use observed. These findings prompt further exploration of ketamine as an alternative or adjunct to medications such as SSRIs and benzodiazepines to minimize response delays and dependence risk. 
Lauren N. Swanson, Lila S. Jones, Jose Muñoz Aycart, Zhipeng Zhu, David M. Rabin, Taylor Kuhn. medRxiv 2024.01.30.24301798; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.30.24301798 
Rapid neuroplasticity changes and response to intravenous ketamine: a randomized controlled trial in treatment-resistant depression
From 2023...Conclusion: In the past two decades, ketamine has emerged as one of the most promising pharmacological treatments for depression since selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) became available. While the exact mechanism is unknown, it has been hypothesized that ketamine’s antidepressant effects are at least in part mediated by increases in neuroplasticity broadly, and by synaptogenic actions specifically. We found that a proxy for structural neuroplasticity was associated with treatment response to ketamine in a subset of the depression-relevant brain regions we examined. These results have important implications for the development of synergistic therapies and for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms by which ketamine exerts rapid antidepressant actions in depressed patients.
Kopelman, J., Keller, T.A., Panny, B. et al. Rapid neuroplasticity changes and response to intravenous ketamine: a randomized controlled trial in treatment-resistant depression. Transl Psychiatry 13, 159 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02451-0
Ketamine effects on default mode network activity and vigilance: A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover simultaneous fMRI/EEG study
From 2019…results suggest a direct relationship between ketamine-induced functional connectivity changes and the concomitant decrease of vigilance in EEG. The observed functional changes after ketamine administration may serve as surrogate end points and provide a neurophysiological framework, for example, for the antidepressant action of ketamine
Zacharias, N., Musso, F., Müller, F., Lammers, F., Saleh, A., London, M., de Boer, P., & Winterer, G. (2020). Ketamine effects on default mode network activity and vigilance: A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover simultaneous fMRI/EEG study. Human brain mapping, 41(1), 107–119. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.24791

References from 2026 Presentations

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