Glutamate and Opioid Mechanisms of Antidepressant Response to Ketamine

Summary

The overarching aim of this research is to determine the acute effects of ketamine on brain glutamate, functional connectivity and cerebral blood flow in treatment-resistant depression, explore whether the effects are attenuated by the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone and relate these findings to antidepressant response.

Timeline

Start

2021-09-27

Primary completion

2023-02-13

Completion

2023-02-20

Publications

• Jelen LA, Lythgoe DJ, Stone JM, Young AH, Mehta MA. Effect of naltrexone pretreatment on ketamine-induced glutamatergic activity and symptoms of depression: a randomized crossover study. Nat Med. 2025 Sep;31(9):2958-2966. doi: 10.1038/s41591-025-03800-w. Epub 2025 Jul 24.

Drugs

Indications