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Kwaśny A, Kwaśna J, Wilkowska A, Szarmach J, Słupski J, Włodarczyk A, Cubała WJ. Ketamine treatment for anhedonia in unipolar and bipolar depression: a systematic review. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 86:20-34. [PMID: 38917771 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, is a racemic mixture of esketamine and arketamine used to treat unipolar and bipolar depression. Preliminary reports indicate that it may be beneficial for depressed patients reporting symptoms of anhedonia. In this systematic review we aim to assess and analyze the existing body of evidence regarding the therapeutic effects of ketamine on the domain of anhedonia. Electronic databases (PubMed, APA Psycinfo and Web of Science) were searched from inception to November 2023. Protocol was registered in PROSPERO under the identifier CRD42023476603. A total of twenty-two studies, including four randomized-controlled trials and eighteen open-label trials were included. All studies reported alleviation of anhedonia symptoms following ketamine or esketamine administration, regardless of the number of infusions. Several important limitations were included, first and foremost low number of placebo-controlled randomized-controlled trials. This review indicates a potential anti-anhedonic effect of ketamine in patients with depression. Several trials used neuroimaging techniques which confirm ketamine's effect on functional connectivity correlating with the improvement in anhedonia. Despite considerable variations in methodology and the specific brain regions investigated, these studies collectively point towards ketamine's neuroplastic effects in mitigating anhedonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksander Kwaśny
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Julia Kwaśna
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Alina Wilkowska
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Joanna Szarmach
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jakub Słupski
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Adam Włodarczyk
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Wiesław Jerzy Cubała
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland
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Hess EM, Greenstein DK, Hutchinson OL, Zarate CA, Gould TD. Entactogen Effects of Ketamine: A Reverse-Translational Study. Am J Psychiatry 2024; 181:815-823. [PMID: 38982828 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The authors sought to assess the prosocial, entactogen effects of ketamine. METHODS Pleasure from social situations was assessed in a sample of participants with treatment-resistant depression from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, using four items of the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) at five time points over 1 week following treatment with ketamine (0.5 mg/kg intravenously) or placebo. The primary endpoint was postinfusion self-reported pleasure on the four SHAPS items pertaining to social situations, including the item on helping others, between the ketamine and placebo groups. In a rodent experiment, the impact of ketamine on helping behavior in rats was assessed using the harm aversion task. The primary endpoint was a reduction in lever response rate relative to baseline, which indicated the willingness of rats to forgo obtaining sucrose to help protect their cage mate from electric shock. RESULTS Relative to placebo, ketamine increased ratings of feeling pleasure from being with family or close friends, seeing other people's smiling faces, helping others, and receiving praise, for 1 week following treatment. In the rodent experiment, during the harm aversion task, ketamine-treated rats maintained lower response rates relative to baseline to a greater extent than what was observed in vehicle-treated rats for 6 days posttreatment and delivered fewer shocks overall. CONCLUSIONS In patients with treatment-resistant depression, ketamine treatment was associated with increased pleasure from social situations, such as feeling pleasure from helping others. Ketamine-treated rats were more likely to protect their cage mate from harm, at the cost of obtaining sucrose. These findings suggest that ketamine has entactogen effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan M Hess
- Department of Psychiatry (Hess, Hutchinson, Gould), Department of Neurobiology (Gould), and Department of Pharmacology (Gould), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Greenstein, Zarate); Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore (Gould)
| | - Dede K Greenstein
- Department of Psychiatry (Hess, Hutchinson, Gould), Department of Neurobiology (Gould), and Department of Pharmacology (Gould), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Greenstein, Zarate); Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore (Gould)
| | - Olivia L Hutchinson
- Department of Psychiatry (Hess, Hutchinson, Gould), Department of Neurobiology (Gould), and Department of Pharmacology (Gould), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Greenstein, Zarate); Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore (Gould)
| | - Carlos A Zarate
- Department of Psychiatry (Hess, Hutchinson, Gould), Department of Neurobiology (Gould), and Department of Pharmacology (Gould), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Greenstein, Zarate); Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore (Gould)
| | - Todd D Gould
- Department of Psychiatry (Hess, Hutchinson, Gould), Department of Neurobiology (Gould), and Department of Pharmacology (Gould), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Greenstein, Zarate); Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore (Gould)
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Patarroyo-Rodriguez L, Cavalcanti S, Vande Voort JL, Singh B. The Use of Ketamine for the Treatment of Anhedonia in Depression. CNS Drugs 2024; 38:583-596. [PMID: 38910222 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-024-01099-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Anhedonia, a complex symptom rooted in deficits across reward processes, is primarily linked to depression and schizophrenia but transcends diagnostic boundaries across various mental disorders. Its presence correlates with poorer clinical outcomes, including an increased risk of suicide and diminished response to treatment. The neurobiological underpinnings of anhedonia remain incompletely understood despite advancements in biomarkers and imaging that contribute to deeper insights. Ketamine, known for its rapid-acting antidepressant properties, appears to possess antianhedonic effects through a mechanism of action not fully elucidated. This effect appears to be independent of its antidepressant properties. Explorations into alternative antianhedonic treatments have been underway, yet lingering questions persist, underscoring the imperative need for ongoing research to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefanie Cavalcanti
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Jennifer L Vande Voort
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Balwinder Singh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
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Wilkowska A, Wiglusz MS, Arciszewska-Leszczuk A, Gałuszko-Węgielnik M, Cubała WJ. Anhedonia in bipolar depression treated with ketamine. Bipolar Disord 2024; 26:356-363. [PMID: 38311367 DOI: 10.1111/bdi.13409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar depression is the major cause of morbidity in patients with bipolar disorder. It affects psychosocial functioning and markedly impairs occupational productivity. Anhedonia is one of the most debilitating symptoms of depression contributing to treatment resistance. It correlates with suicidality, low quality of life, social withdrawal, and poor treatment response. Currently, there is no approved treatment specifically targeting anhedonia. Emerging evidence suggests that ketamine possesses anti-anhedonic properties in individuals with depression. OBJECTIVES The aim of this naturalistic open-label study was to investigate the effect of add-on ketamine treatment on anhedonia in treatment resistant bipolar depression. METHODS Our main interest was the change in patient-reported (Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale) and rater-based anhedonia measure (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-anhedonia subscale). The secondary aim was to analyze the score change in three Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (IDS-SR) domains: mood/cognition, anxiety/somatic, and sleep. Patients underwent assessments at several time points, including baseline, after the third, fifth, and seventh ketamine infusions. Additionally, a follow-up assessment was conducted 1 week following the final ketamine administration. RESULTS We found improvement in anhedonia symptoms according to both patient-reported and rater-based measures. The improvement in IDS-SR domains was most prominent in anxiety/somatic factor and mood/cognition factor, improvement in sleep factor was not observed. No serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION Add-on ketamine seems to be a good choice for the treatment of anhedonia in treatment resistant bipolar depression. It also showed a good effect in reducing symptoms of anxiety in this group of patients. Considering unmet needs and the detrimental effect of anhedonia and anxiety, more studies are needed on ketamine treatment in resistant bipolar depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Wilkowska
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Mariusz S Wiglusz
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | | | | | - Wiesław J Cubała
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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Adam AS, LaMalfa KS, Razavi Y, Kohut SJ, Kangas BD. A Multimodal Preclinical Assessment of MDMA in Female and Male Rats: Prohedonic, Cognition Disruptive, and Prosocial Effects. PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINE (NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.) 2024; 2:96-108. [PMID: 39149579 PMCID: PMC11324000 DOI: 10.1089/psymed.2023.0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Background Frontline antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) leave many patients with unmet treatment needs. Moreover, even when SSRIs reduce depressive symptoms, anhedonia, the loss of pleasure to previously rewarding activities, often remains unabated. This state of affairs is disheartening and calls for the development of medications to more directly treat anhedonia. The atypical psychedelic 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) might have promise as a prohedonic medication given its efficacious applications for treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder and comorbid depression. However, in addition to its prosocial effects as an entactogen, MDMA is also associated with neurotoxic cognitive deficits. The present studies were designed to examine the relative potency of MDMA in female and male rats across three distinct behavioral domains to assist in defining a preclinical profile of MDMA as a candidate prohedonic therapeutic. Methods First, signal detection metrics of reward responsivity were examined using the touchscreen probabilistic reward task (PRT), a reverse-translated assay used to objectively quantify anhedonic phenotypes in humans. Second, to probe potential cognitive deficits, touchscreen-based assays of psychomotor vigilance and delayed matching-to-position were used to examine attentional processes and short-term spatial memory, respectively. Finally, MDMA's entactogenic effects were studied via pairwise assessments of social interaction facilitated by machine-learning analyses. Results Findings show (1) dose-dependent increases in reward responsivity as quantified by the PRT, (2) dose-dependent deficits in attention and short-term memory, and (3) dose-dependent increases in aspects of prosocial interaction in male but not female subjects. Neither the desirable (prohedonic) nor undesirable (cognition disruptive) effects of MDMA persisted beyond 24 h. Conclusions The present results characterize MDMA as a promising prohedonic treatment, notwithstanding some liability for short-lived cognitive impairment following acute administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abshir S. Adam
- Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Yasaman Razavi
- Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stephen J. Kohut
- Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brian D. Kangas
- Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
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Zhang B, Rolls ET, Wang X, Xie C, Cheng W, Feng J. Roles of the medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortex in major depression and its treatment. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:914-928. [PMID: 38212376 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02380-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
We describe evidence for dissociable roles of the medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in major depressive disorder (MDD) from structure, functional activation, functional connectivity, metabolism, and neurochemical systems. The reward-related medial orbitofrontal cortex has lower connectivity and less reward sensitivity in MDD associated with anhedonia symptoms; and the non-reward related lateral OFC has higher functional connectivity and more sensitivity to non-reward/aversive stimuli in MDD associated with negative bias symptoms. Importantly, we propose that conventional antidepressants act to normalize the hyperactive lateral (but not medial) OFC to reduce negative bias in MDD; while other treatments are needed to operate on the medial OFC to reduce anhedonia, with emerging evidence suggesting that ketamine may act in this way. The orbitofrontal cortex is the key cortical region in emotion and reward, and the current review presents much new evidence about the different ways that the medial and lateral OFC are involved in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Edmund T Rolls
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
- Oxford Centre for Computational Neuroscience, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, PR China
- Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, PR China
- China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, PR China
| | - Chao Xie
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, PR China.
- MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, PR China.
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
- MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
- Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Shanghai, PR China.
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Kong S, Chen Y, Huang H, Yang W, Lyu D, Wang F, Huang Q, Zhang M, Chen S, Wei Z, Shi S, Fang Y, Hong W. Efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation for treating anhedonia in patients with depression: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial. J Affect Disord 2024; 350:264-273. [PMID: 38232776 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anhedonia, the core symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD), is highly prevalent in patients with depression. Anhedonia is associated with low efficacy of drug treatment, high suicide rates, and poor social function. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technology that uses constant, low-intensity direct current to treat MDD by regulating cortical activity and neuronal excitability. However, little is known about the efficacy of tDCS for treating anhedonia in patients with depression, and even the existing results of clinical trials are conflicting. In addition, there is no consensus on what brain regions should be targeted by tDCS during the treatment of anhedonia in patients with depression. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in the improvement of anhedonia in patients with depression and finally identified suitable brain regions to be stimulated during treatment. METHODS This randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial recruited 70 patients with anhedonia and depressive episodes. Patients were randomly assigned to three groups according to the stimulation site: right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and sham stimulation. Each group received twelve 20-min interventions (ten as primary treatment and two for consolidation). The primary outcome was a decrease in Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) scores after primary treatment. Evaluations were performed at baseline, post-treatment, and 8-week follow-up. RESULTS The depression mood of the three groups of patients at each time point was better than the baseline, but there was no significant difference in the efficacy between the groups (p>0.05). On the basis of the improvement of depression, this study found that tDCS of the DLPFC significantly improved anhedonia (p = 0.028) after primary treatment (2 weeks), and tDCS of the DLPFC and OFC significantly improved social functioning (p = 0.005) at 8-week follow-up. LIMITATIONS The sample size of this study was small, with only about 23/24 patients in each group completing the intervention assessments; due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, data analysis was limited by the lack of patients during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS tDCS of the DLPFC significantly improves anhedonia in depressed patients and is thus a potential adjuvant therapy for anhedonia in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqi Kong
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiming Chen
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haijing Huang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese academy of Science, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weichieh Yang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dongbin Lyu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qinte Huang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengke Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shentse Chen
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zheyi Wei
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuxiang Shi
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiru Fang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Psychiatry & Affective Disorders Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Wu Hong
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China; Mental Health Branch, China Hospital Development Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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Ait Bentaleb K, Boisvert M, Tourjman V, Potvin S. A Meta-Analysis of Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Ketamine Administration in Healthy Volunteers. J Psychoactive Drugs 2024; 56:211-224. [PMID: 36921026 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2023.2190758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Ketamine administration leads to a psychotomimetic state when taken in large bolus doses, making it a valid model of psychosis. Therefore, understanding ketamine's effects on brain functioning is particularly relevant. This meta-analysis focused on neuroimaging studies that examined ketamine-induced brain activation at rest and during a task. Included are 10 resting-state studies and 23 task-based studies, 9 of which were measuring executive functions. Using a stringent statistical threshold (TFCE <0.05), the results showed increased activity at rest in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and increased activation of the right Heschl's gyrus during executive tasks, following ketamine administration. Uncorrected results showed increased activation at rest in the right (anterior) insula and the right-fusiform gyrus, as well as increased activation during executive tasks in the rostral ACC. Rest-state studies highlighted alterations in core hubs of the salience network, while task-based studies suggested an impact on task-irrelevant brain regions. Increased activation in the rostral ACC may indicate a failure to deactivate the default mode network during executive tasks following ketamine administration. The results are coherent with alterations found in schizophrenia, which confer external validity to the ketamine model of psychosis. Studies investigating the neural mechanisms of ketamine's antidepressant action are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Ait Bentaleb
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of psychiatry and addiction, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Mélanie Boisvert
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of psychiatry and addiction, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Valérie Tourjman
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of psychiatry and addiction, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Stéphane Potvin
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of psychiatry and addiction, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
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Liu X, Read SJ. Development of a multivariate prediction model for antidepressant resistant depression using reward-related predictors. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1349576. [PMID: 38590792 PMCID: PMC10999634 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1349576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Individuals with depression who do not respond to two or more courses of serotonergic antidepressants tend to have greater deficits in reward processing and greater internalizing symptoms, yet there is no validated self-report method to determine the likelihood of treatment resistance based on these symptom dimensions. Methods This online case-control study leverages machine learning techniques to identify differences in self-reported anhedonia and internalizing symptom profiles of antidepressant non-responders compared to responders and healthy controls, as an initial proof-of-concept for relating these indicators to medication responsiveness. Random forest classifiers were used to identify a subset from a set of 24 reward predictors that distinguished among serotonergic medication resistant, non-resistant, and non-depressed individuals recruited online (N = 393). Feature selection was implemented to refine model prediction and improve interpretability. Results Accuracies for full predictor models ranged from .54 to .71, while feature selected models retained 3-5 predictors and generated accuracies of .42 to .70. Several models performed significantly above chance. Sensitivity for non-responders was greatest after feature selection when compared to only responders, reaching .82 with 3 predictors. The predictors retained from feature selection were then explored using factor analysis at the item level and cluster analysis of the full data to determine empirically driven data structures. Discussion Non-responders displayed 3 distinct symptom profiles along internalizing dimensions of anxiety, anhedonia, motivation, and cognitive function. Results should be replicated in a prospective cohort sample for predictive validity; however, this study demonstrates validity for using a limited anhedonia and internalizing self-report instrument for distinguishing between antidepressant resistant and responsive depression profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Kwaśny A, Cubała WJ, Włodarczyk A. Anhedonia and depression severity measures during ketamine administration in treatment-resistant depression. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1334293. [PMID: 38439794 PMCID: PMC10909946 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1334293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Anhedonia is a core symptom of depression characterized by a diminished ability to experience pleasure. Currently available treatments for depression often fall short in adequately addressing anhedonia that often presents as a chronic and debilitating symptom. Ketamine is known to possess antianhedonic properties. Methods This post-hoc analysis of a naturalistic observational study of treatment-resistant depression inpatients (n=28) analyzed antianhedonic response patterns measured by Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale and changes in Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology in responders (n=6) and non-responders (n=22) stratified per Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale during short-term ketamine treatment. Results Results show that responders significantly improve in anhedonia over time (p=0.0084) and at the 7th infusion and follow-up (both p<0.05). Non-responders reported significant reduction in anhedonia over time (p=0.0011) and at the 5th, 7th infusion and at the follow-up (all p's<0.05). Non-responders were also observed to improve significantly in self-reported depression at the 7th infusion (p=0.0219) but not at the follow-up. Discussion There is no complete overlap between change in depressive symptoms and anhedonia. Therefore, it might be assumed ketamine alleviates anhedonia as an individual symptom domain regardless of formal treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksander Kwaśny
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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Costello H, Husain M, Roiser JP. Apathy and Motivation: Biological Basis and Drug Treatment. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2024; 64:313-338. [PMID: 37585659 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-022423-014645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Apathy is a disabling syndrome associated with poor functional outcomes that is common across a broad range of neurological and psychiatric conditions. Currently, there are no established therapies specifically for the condition, and safe and effective treatments are urgently needed. Advances in the understanding of motivation and goal-directed behavior in humans and animals have shed light on the cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms contributing to apathy, providing an important foundation for the development of new treatments. Here, we review the cognitive components, neural circuitry, and pharmacology of apathy and motivation, highlighting converging evidence of shared transdiagnostic mechanisms. Though no pharmacological treatments have yet been licensed, we summarize trials of existing and novel compounds to date, identifying several promising candidates for clinical use and avenues of future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Costello
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Masud Husain
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan P Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
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Ma Y, Guo C, Luo Y, Gao S, Sun J, Chen Q, Lv X, Cao J, Lei Z, Fang J. Altered neural activity in the reward-related circuit associated with anhedonia in mild to moderate Major Depressive Disorder. J Affect Disord 2024; 345:216-225. [PMID: 37866737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.10.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anhedonia is a significant predictor of disease progression and treatment outcomes in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), linked to reward network dysfunctions. However, understanding of its underlying neural mechanisms remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the brain functional mechanisms underlying MDD with anhedonia using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHODS The Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) was used to evaluation MDD with anhedonia (anMDD) and non-anhedonia MDD (non-anMDD). Forty-eight patients with anMDD, Forty-four patients with non-anMDD, and Fifty healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled for the fMRI scans. A seed-based functional connectivity (FC) method was employed to explore reward network abnormalities. RESULTS anMDD patients exhibited lower FC values in Ventral Striatum (VS), right lateral Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA_R), left Thalamus (THA_L), and higher FC values in Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (vmPFC), left Anterior Insula (AI_L), and Presupplementary Motor Area (Pre-SMA) compared to HCs. Comparing anMDD to non-anMDD, significant differences were observed in FC values of VS, vmPFC, Pre-SMA, and THA_L regions. Correlation analysis revealed positive correlations between FC values of VS_R and NAc_R, as well as THA_L and Cerebellum_Crus1_L, with SHAPS scores. Negative correlations were observed between FC values of Pre-SMA and the right caudate, and between vmPFC and Frontal_Mid_Orb_L, and SHAPS scores. CONCLUSION Both anMDD and non-anMDD groups demonstrated abnormal FCs in the reward network. These findings indicate distinct roles of reward-related circuits in the two subtypes, contributing to a refined understanding of depression phenotypes and potential directions for targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ma
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlei Guo
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shanshan Gao
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jifei Sun
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingyan Chen
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xueyu Lv
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiudong Cao
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhang Lei
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiliang Fang
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Mu Q, Cui D, Zhang K, Ru Y, Wu C, Fang Z, Jia L, Hu S, Huang M, Lu S. Volume changes of the subcortical limbic structures in major depressive disorder patients with and without anhedonia. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2023; 336:111747. [PMID: 37948916 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Anhedonia is a core feature of major depressive disorder (MDD) and the limbic system has been indicated to be associated with anhedonia in MDD due to its crucial role within the reward circuit. However, the relationship between different regions of the limbic system and MDD, particularly anhedonic symptoms, remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate volume changes of various parts of the subcortical limbic (ScLimbic) system in MDD with and without anhedonia. A total of 120 individuals, including 30 MDD patients with anhedonia, 43 MDD patients without anhedonia, and 47 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging scans. After that, ScLimbic system segmentation was performed using the FreeSurfer pipeline ScLimbic. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to identify brain regions with significant volume differences among three groups, and then, post hoc tests were calculated for inter-group comparisons. Finally, correlations between volumes of different parts of the ScLimbic and clinical characteristics in MDD patients were further analyzed. The ANCOVA revealed significant volume differences of the ScLimbic system among three groups in the bilateral fornix (Fx), and the right basal forebrain (BF). As compared with HCs, both groups of MDD patients showed decreased volume in the right Fx, meanwhile, MDD patients with anhedonia further exhibited volume reductions in the left Fx and right BF. However, no significant difference was found between MDD patients with and without anhedonia. No significant association was observed between subregion volumes of the ScLimbic system and clinical features in MDD. The present findings demonstrated that MDD patients with and without anhedonia exhibited segregated brain structural alterations in the ScLimbic system and volume loss of the ScLimbic system might be fairly extensive in MDD patients with anhedonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingli Mu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dong Cui
- School of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, 271016, China
| | - Kejing Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yanghua Ru
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Department of Psychiatry, The Fifth Peoples' Hospital of Shengzhou, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
| | - Congchong Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhe Fang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lili Jia
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Department of Clinical Psychology, The Fifth Peoples' Hospital of Lin'an District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shaohua Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Manli Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shaojia Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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14
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Alexander L, Hawkins PCT, Evans JW, Mehta MA, Zarate CA. Preliminary evidence that ketamine alters anterior cingulate resting-state functional connectivity in depressed individuals. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:371. [PMID: 38040678 PMCID: PMC10692230 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02674-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Activity changes within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are implicated in the antidepressant effects of ketamine, but the ACC is cytoarchitectonically and functionally heterogeneous and ketamine's effects may be subregion specific. In the context of a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial investigating the clinical and resting-state fMRI effects of intravenous ketamine vs. placebo in patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD) vs. healthy volunteers (HV), we used seed-based resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) analyses to determine differential changes in subgenual ACC (sgACC), perigenual ACC (pgACC) and dorsal ACC (dACC) rsFC two days post-infusion. Across cingulate subregions, ketamine differentially modulated rsFC to the right insula and anterior ventromedial prefrontal cortex, compared to placebo, in TRD vs. HV; changes to pgACC-insula connectivity correlated with improvements in depression scores. Post-hoc analysis of each cingulate subregion separately revealed differential modulation of sgACC-hippocampal, sgACC-vmPFC, pgACC-posterior cingulate, and dACC-supramarginal gyrus connectivity. By comparing rsFC changes following ketamine vs. placebo in the TRD group alone, we found that sgACC rsFC was most substantially modulated by ketamine vs. placebo. Changes to sgACC-pgACC, sgACC-ventral striatal, and sgACC-dACC connectivity correlated with improvements in anhedonia symptoms. This preliminary evidence suggests that accurate segmentation of the ACC is needed to understand the precise effects of ketamine's antidepressant and anti-anhedonic action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laith Alexander
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London & Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Peter C T Hawkins
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London & Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jennifer W Evans
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mitul A Mehta
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London & Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Carlos A Zarate
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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15
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Zavaliangos-Petropulu A, McClintock SM, Joshi SH, Taraku B, Al-Sharif NB, Espinoza RT, Narr KL. Hippocampal subfield volumes in treatment resistant depression and serial ketamine treatment. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1227879. [PMID: 37876623 PMCID: PMC10590913 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1227879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Subanesthetic ketamine is a rapidly acting antidepressant that has also been found to improve neurocognitive performance in adult patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD). Provisional evidence suggests that ketamine may induce change in hippocampal volume and that larger pre-treatment volumes might be related to positive clinical outcomes. Here, we examine the effects of serial ketamine treatment on hippocampal subfield volumes and relationships between pre-treatment subfield volumes and changes in depressive symptoms and neurocognitive performance. Methods Patients with TRD (N = 66; 31M/35F; age = 39.5 ± 11.1 years) received four ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg) over 2 weeks. Structural MRI scans, the National Institutes of Health Toolbox (NIHT) Cognition Battery, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) were collected at baseline, 24 h after the first and fourth ketamine infusion, and 5 weeks post-treatment. The same data was collected for 32 age and sex matched healthy controls (HC; 17M/15F; age = 35.03 ± 12.2 years) at one timepoint. Subfield (CA1/CA3/CA4/subiculum/molecular layer/GC-ML-DG) volumes corrected for whole hippocampal volume were compared across time, between treatment remitters/non-remitters, and patients and HCs using linear regression models. Relationships between pre-treatment subfield volumes and clinical and cognitive outcomes were also tested. All analyses included Bonferroni correction. Results Patients had smaller pre-treatment left CA4 (p = 0.004) and GC.ML.DG (p = 0.004) volumes compared to HC, but subfield volumes remained stable following ketamine treatment (all p > 0.05). Pre-treatment or change in hippocampal subfield volumes over time showed no variation by remission status nor correlated with depressive symptoms (p > 0.05). Pre-treatment left CA4 was negatively correlated with improved processing speed after single (p = 0.0003) and serial ketamine infusion (p = 0.005). Left GC.ML.DG also negatively correlated with improved processing speed after single infusion (p = 0.001). Right pre-treatment CA3 positively correlated with changes in list sorting working memory at follow-up (p = 0.0007). Discussion These results provide new evidence to suggest that hippocampal subfield volumes at baseline may present a biomarker for neurocognitive improvement following ketamine treatment in TRD. In contrast, pre-treatment subfield volumes and changes in subfield volumes showed negligible relationships with ketamine-related improvements in depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artemis Zavaliangos-Petropulu
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Shawn M. McClintock
- Division of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Shantanu H. Joshi
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Brandon Taraku
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Noor B. Al-Sharif
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Randall T. Espinoza
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Katherine L. Narr
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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16
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Gorostowicz A, Rizvi SJ, Kennedy SH, Chrobak AA, Dudek D, Cyranka K, Piekarska J, Krawczyk E, Siwek M. Polish adaptation of the Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) - validation in the clinical sample. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1268290. [PMID: 37817828 PMCID: PMC10561247 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1268290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Anhedonia is the core symptom of depression. Its presence has been linked to worsened prognosis. The Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) is a scale measuring desire, motivation, effort and consummatory pleasure across different domains. The aim of this paper was to confirm factor structure, assess reliability and validity of the Polish adaptation of the DARS in a clinical sample of patients with mood disorders and healthy controls (HC). Methods The study sample included 161 participants aged 18-65 years - 34 HC, 72 patients with bipolar disorder and 55 with major depressive disorder (in depressive episode or remission). Reliability of the Polish adaptation of the DARS was assessed using Cronbach's α and the average inter-item correlation (AIC). Convergent and divergent validity was established by Pearson's correlations between the DARS and the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS), the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology- self-report (QIDS-SR), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The structure of the scale was examined by factor analysis. Results The factor structure was consistent with the original scale. Strong internal consistency for the DARS total score (Cronbach's α = 0.95) and all subscales (0.86-0.93) was observed. The DARS demonstrated good convergent (moderate to strong correlations with measures of anhedonia and depression) and divergent validity (weak correlations with anxiety level). Conclusion The Polish DARS demonstrated excellent internal consistency and very good validity. The scale is a valuable contribution to the psychometrics of anhedonia measures in patients with mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sakina J. Rizvi
- ASR Suicide and Depression Studies Unit, Department of Psychiatry, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sidney H. Kennedy
- ASR Suicide and Depression Studies Unit, Department of Psychiatry, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Dominika Dudek
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Cyranka
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Piekarska
- Department of Psychiatry, The Ludwik Rydygier Specialist Hospital in Cracow, Kraków, Poland
| | - Eve Krawczyk
- Department of Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital in Cracow, Kraków, Poland
| | - Marcin Siwek
- Department of Affective Disorders, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
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17
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Boyle CC, Bower JE, Eisenberger NI, Irwin MR. Stress to inflammation and anhedonia: Mechanistic insights from preclinical and clinical models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105307. [PMID: 37419230 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Anhedonia, as evidenced by impaired pleasurable response to reward, reduced reward motivation, and/or deficits in reward-related learning, is a common feature of depression. Such deficits in reward processing are also an important clinical target as a risk factor for depression onset. Unfortunately, reward-related deficits remain difficult to treat. To address this gap and inform the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies, it is critical to understand the mechanisms that drive impairments in reward function. Stress-induced inflammation is a plausible mechanism of reward deficits. The purpose of this paper is to review evidence for two components of this psychobiological pathway: 1) the effects of stress on reward function; and 2) the effects of inflammation on reward function. Within these two areas, we draw upon preclinical and clinical models, distinguish between acute and chronic effects of stress and inflammation, and address specific domains of reward dysregulation. By addressing these contextual factors, the review reveals a nuanced literature which might be targeted for additional scientific inquiry to inform the development of precise interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe C Boyle
- Norman Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, USA.
| | - Julienne E Bower
- Norman Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, USA; Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Michael R Irwin
- Norman Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, USA
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18
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Pettorruso M, Guidotti R, d'Andrea G, De Risio L, D'Andrea A, Chiappini S, Carullo R, Barlati S, Zanardi R, Rosso G, De Filippis S, Di Nicola M, Andriola I, Marcatili M, Nicolò G, Martiadis V, Bassetti R, Nucifora D, De Fazio P, Rosenblat JD, Clerici M, Maria Dell'Osso B, Vita A, Marzetti L, Sensi SL, Di Lorenzo G, McIntyre RS, Martinotti G. Predicting outcome with Intranasal Esketamine treatment: A machine-learning, three-month study in Treatment-Resistant Depression (ESK-LEARNING). Psychiatry Res 2023; 327:115378. [PMID: 37574600 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) represents a severe clinical condition with high social and economic costs. Esketamine Nasal Spray (ESK-NS) has recently been approved for TRD by EMA and FDA, but data about predictors of response are still lacking. Thus, a tool that can predict the individual patients' probability of response to ESK-NS is needed. This study investigates sociodemographic and clinical features predicting responses to ESK-NS in TRD patients using machine learning techniques. In a retrospective, multicentric, real-world study involving 149 TRD subjects, psychometric data (Montgomery-Asberg-Depression-Rating-Scale/MADRS, Brief-Psychiatric-Rating-Scale/BPRS, Hamilton-Anxiety-Rating-Scale/HAM-A, Hamilton-Depression-Rating-Scale/HAMD-17) were collected at baseline and at one month/T1 and three months/T2 post-treatment initiation. We trained three different random forest classifiers, able to predict responses to ESK-NS with accuracies of 68.53% at T1 and 66.26% at T2 and remission at T2 with 68.60% of accuracy. Features like severe anhedonia, anxious distress, mixed symptoms as well as bipolarity were found to positively predict response and remission. At the same time, benzodiazepine usage and depression severity were linked to delayed responses. Despite some limitations (i.e., retrospective study, lack of biomarkers, lack of a correct interrater-reliability across the different centers), these findings suggest the potential of machine learning in personalized intervention for TRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Pettorruso
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Roberto Guidotti
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giacomo d'Andrea
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Luisa De Risio
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction, ASL Roma 5, Rome, Italy
| | - Antea D'Andrea
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Stefania Chiappini
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Rosalba Carullo
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Stefano Barlati
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy; Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Raffaella Zanardi
- Mood Disorder Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Rosso
- Department of Neurosciences Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Marco Di Nicola
- Department of Neurosciences, Section of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome; Department of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "Agostino Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome
| | | | - Matteo Marcatili
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Nicolò
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction, ASL Roma 5, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Bassetti
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Niguarda Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Pasquale De Fazio
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Joshua D Rosenblat
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Braxia Health, Canadian Centre for Rapid Treatment Excellence (CRTCE), Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Massimo Clerici
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza, Italy; School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Bernardo Maria Dell'Osso
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Luigi Sacco and Aldo Ravelli Center for Neurotechnology and Brain Therapeutic, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy; Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Laura Marzetti
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Stefano L Sensi
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giorgio Di Lorenzo
- Chair of Psychiatry, Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Roger S McIntyre
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Braxia Health, Canadian Centre for Rapid Treatment Excellence (CRTCE), Mississauga, ON, Canada; Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Giovanni Martinotti
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy; Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
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19
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Speers LJ, Sissons DJ, Cleland L, Bilkey DK. Hippocampal phase precession is preserved under ketamine, but the range of precession across a theta cycle is reduced. J Psychopharmacol 2023; 37:809-821. [PMID: 37515458 PMCID: PMC10399102 DOI: 10.1177/02698811231187339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hippocampal phase precession, which depends on the precise spike timing of place cells relative to local theta oscillations, has been proposed to underlie sequential memory. N-methyl-D-asparate (NMDA) receptor antagonists such as ketamine disrupt memory and also reproduce several schizophrenia-like symptoms, including spatial memory impairments and disorganized cognition. It is possible that these impairments result from disruptions to phase precession. AIMS/METHODS We used an ABA design to test whether an acute, subanesthetic dose (7.5 mg/kg) of ketamine disrupted phase precession in CA1 of male rats as they navigated around a rectangular track for a food reward. RESULTS/OUTCOMES Ketamine did not affect the ability of CA1 place cells to precess despite changes to place cell firing rates, local field potential properties and locomotor speed. However, ketamine reduced the range of phase precession that occurred across a theta cycle. CONCLUSION Phase precession is largely robust to acute NMDA receptor antagonism by ketamine, but the reduced range of precession could have important implications for learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daena J Sissons
- Psychology Department, Otago University Dunedin, New Zealand
- Psychology Department, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Lana Cleland
- Psychology Department, Otago University Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department Psychological Medicine, Otago University, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Department Population Health, Otago University, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - David K Bilkey
- Psychology Department, Otago University Dunedin, New Zealand
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20
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Wu C, Jia L, Mu Q, Fang Z, Hamoudi HJAS, Huang M, Hu S, Zhang P, Xu Y, Lu S. Altered hippocampal subfield volumes in major depressive disorder with and without anhedonia. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:540. [PMID: 37491229 PMCID: PMC10369779 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05001-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous neuroimaging findings have demonstrated the association between anhedonia and the hippocampus. However, few studies have focused on the structural changes in the hippocampus in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients with anhedonia. Meanwhile, considering that multiple and functionally specialized subfields of the hippocampus have their own signatures, the present study aimed to investigate the volumetric alterations of the hippocampus as well as its subfields in MDD patients with and without anhedonia. METHODS A total of 113 subjects, including 30 MDD patients with anhedonia, 40 MDD patients without anhedonia, and 43 healthy controls (HCs), were recruited in the study. All participants underwent high-resolution brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and the automated hippocampal substructure module in FreeSurfer 6.0 was used to evaluate the volumes of hippocampal subfields. We compared the volumetric differences in hippocampal subfields among the three groups by analysis of variance (ANOVA, post hoc Bonferroni), and partial correlation was used to explore the association between hippocampal subregion volumes and clinical characteristics. RESULTS ANOVA showed significant volumetric differences in the hippocampal subfields among the three groups in the left hippocampus head, mainly in the cornu ammonis (CA) 1, granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus (GC-ML-DG), and molecular layer (ML). Compared with HCs, both groups of MDD patients showed significantly smaller volumes in the whole left hippocampus head. Interestingly, further exploration revealed that only MDD patients with anhedonia had significantly reduced volumes in the left CA1, GC-ML-DG and ML when compared with HCs. No significant difference was found in the volumes of the hippocampal subfields between MDD patients without anhedonia and HCs, either the two groups of MDD patients. However, no association between hippocampal subfield volumes and clinical characteristics was found in either the subset of patients with anhedonia or in the patient group as a whole. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary findings suggest that MDD patients with anhedonia exhibit unique atrophy of the hippocampus and that subfield abnormalities in the left CA1 and DG might be associated with anhedonia in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congchong Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lili Jia
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Fifth Peoples' Hospital of Lin'an District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qingli Mu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhe Fang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | | | - Manli Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shaohua Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Xiaoshan Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Shaojia Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Engineering Center for Mathematical Mental Health, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China.
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21
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Siegel JS, Pearson C, Lenze EJ. Better Biomarkers, Faster Drugs, Stronger Models: Progress Towards Precision Psychiatry. MISSOURI MEDICINE 2023; 120:292-298. [PMID: 37609458 PMCID: PMC10441262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
The 21st century has brought novel therapies and new therapeutic targets for major depressive disorder (MDD). Until recently all antidepressant medications targeted monoamines-serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine- and their regulatory systems. But growing evidence has suggested that individuals who fail to respond to a monoaminergic treatment are likely to fail to respond to other monoaminergic options. The emergence in recent years of treatment targets beyond the monoaminergic systems (e.g. κ-opioid antagonists, ketamine and other NMDA modulators, neurosteroids) has cultivated hopes for not only greater efficacy in treating depression, but also improved precision in targeting specific phenotypes and symptoms. Concurrently, an expanding repertoire of diagnostic and assessment tools-such as smartphone-based experience sampling and brain imaging-is moving the field toward more reliable and symptom-specific measurement with greater descriptive and prescriptive power. Taken together, these diagnostic tools and treatment options herald a new era of "precision psychiatry"-the selection and implementation of an optimal treatment for an individual patient's particular needs. Anhedonia offers an example of the new precision psychiatry. Anhedonia has moved from merely one among several criteria for depression to a transdiagnostic psychopathology which can be understood neurobiologically, assessed quantitatively, and centered as a primary target in research and development of novel pharmacotherapies. We describe functional testing of reward circuits in the development of kappa-opioid antagonists for anhedonia. This offers a lens for understanding how and under what circumstances other novel treatments, such as psychedelics, might find a place in the future landscape of precision psychiatric care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S Siegel
- Instructor of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Craig Pearson
- Medical student, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Eric J Lenze
- Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Health Mind Lab, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
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22
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Smith ALW, Harmer CJ, Cowen PJ, Murphy SE. The Serotonin 1A (5-HT 1A) Receptor as a Pharmacological Target in Depression. CNS Drugs 2023; 37:571-585. [PMID: 37386328 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-023-01014-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Clinical depression is a common, debilitating and heterogenous disorder. Existing treatments for depression are inadequate for a significant minority of patients and new approaches are urgently needed. A wealth of evidence implicates the serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptor in the pathophysiology of depression. Stimulation of the 5-HT1A receptor is an existing therapeutic target for treating depression and anxiety, using drugs such as buspirone and tandospirone. However, activation of 5-HT1A raphe autoreceptors has also been suggested to be responsible for the delay in the therapeutic action of conventional antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This narrative review provides a brief overview of the 5-HT1A receptor, the evidence implicating it in depression and in the effects of conventional antidepressant treatment. We highlight that pre- and post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptors may have divergent roles in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. To date, developing this understanding to progress therapeutic discovery has been limited, partly due to a paucity of specific pharmacological probes suitable for use in humans. The development of 5-HT1A 'biased agonism', using compounds such as NLX-101, offers the opportunity to further elucidate the roles of pre- and post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptors. We describe how experimental medicine approaches can be helpful in profiling the effects of 5-HT1A receptor modulation on the different clinical domains of depression, and outline some potential neurocognitive models that could be used to test the effects of 5-HT1A biased agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander L W Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Catherine J Harmer
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip J Cowen
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Susannah E Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
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23
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Carney RM, Freedland KE. New Perspectives on Treatment of Depression in Coronary Heart Disease. Psychosom Med 2023; 85:474-478. [PMID: 37234020 PMCID: PMC10524988 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT It has been 35 years since we published a study in Psychosomatic Medicine showing that patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and major depression were at twice the risk of having a cardiac event as were nondepressed patients (Carney et al. Psychosom Med. 1988;50:627-33). This small study was followed a few years later by a larger, more convincing report from Frasure-Smith et al. (JAMA. 1993;270:1819-25) showing that depression increased the rate of mortality in patients with a recent acute myocardial infarction. Since the 1990s, there have been many more studies of depression as a risk factor for cardiac events and cardiac-related mortality from all over the world, and many clinical trials designed to determine whether treating depression improves medical outcomes in these patients. Unfortunately, the effects of depression treatment in patients with CHD remain unclear. This article considers why it has been difficult to determine whether treatment of depression improves survival in these patients. It also proposes several lines of research to address this question, with the goal of definitively establishing whether treating depression can extend cardiac event-free survival and enhance quality of life in patients with CHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Carney
- From the Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
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24
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Chronic oral ketamine prevents anhedonia and alters neuronal activation in the lateral habenula and nucleus accumbens in rats under chronic unpredictable mild stress. Neuropharmacology 2023; 228:109468. [PMID: 36813161 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Acute injections of ketamine lead to rapid but transient antidepressant effects. Chronic oral treatment at low doses, a promising non-invasive alternative, may prolong this therapeutic effect. Here, we examine the antidepressant effects of chronic oral ketamine in rats under chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and reveal their neuronal correlates. Male Wistar rats were divided into control, ketamine, CUMS, and CUMS-ketamine groups. The CUMS protocol was applied to the latter two groups for 9 weeks, and ketamine (0.013 mg/ml) was provided ad libitum to the ketamine and CUMS-ketamine groups for 5 weeks. The sucrose consumption test, forced swim test, open field test, elevated plus maze, and Morris water maze were respectively used to assess anhedonia, behavioral despair, general locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior and spatial reference memory. CUMS caused a reduction of sucrose consumption and impaired spatial memory, accompanied by increased neuronal activation in the lateral habenula (LHb) and paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT). Oral ketamine prevented behavioral despair and CUMS-induced anhedonia. Reward-triggered c-Fos immunoreactivity was decreased in the LHb and increased in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) in the CUMS-ketamine group compared to the CUMS group. Ketamine did not produce a differential effect in the OFT, EPM and MWM. These results show that chronic oral ketamine at low doses prevents anhedonia without impairing spatial reference memory. The observed neuronal activation changes in the LHb and NAcSh may be involved in the preventive effects of ketamine on anhedonia. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Ketamine and its Metabolites".
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25
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Yang KC, Chou YH. Molecular imaging findings for treatment resistant depression. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2023; 278:79-116. [PMID: 37414495 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Approximately 40% of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) had limited response to conventional antidepressant treatments, resulting in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), a debilitating subtype that yielded a significant disease burden worldwide. Molecular imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT), can measure targeted macromolecules or biological processes in vivo. These imaging tools provide a unique possibility to explore the pathophysiology and treatment mechanisms underlying TRD. This work reviewed and summarized prior PET and SPECT studies to examine the neurobiology and treatment-induced changes of TRD. A total of 51 articles were included with supplementary information from studies for MDD and healthy controls (HC). We found that there were altered regional blood flow or metabolic activity in several brain regions, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, insula, hippocampus, amygdala, parahippocampus, and striatum. These regions have been suggested to engage in the pathophysiology or treatment resistance of depression. There was also limited data to demonstrate the changes in the markers of serotonin, dopamine, amyloid, and microglia over some regions in TRD. Moreover, several observed abnormal imaging indices were linked to treatment outcomes, supporting their specificity and clinical relevance. To address the limitations of the included studies, we proposed that future studies needed longitudinal designs, multimodal approaches, and radioligands targeting specific neural substrates for TRD to evaluate their baseline and treatment-related alterations in TRD. Adequate data sharing and reproducible data analysis can facilitate advances in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Chun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Yuan-Hwa Chou
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Center for Quality Management, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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26
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The therapeutic role of ketamine and esketamine in treating psychopathological domains of depression. Neuropharmacology 2023; 223:109299. [PMID: 36336068 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, ketamine has emerged as a novel effective and rapid-acting antidepressant. While the vast majority of studies on ketamine have focused on its ability to reduce the severity of depression broadly, its effectiveness in specific domains such as cognition, anhedonia, suicidality, and workplace/social/scholastic functionality has been neglected. Similarly, current treatments (e.g., SSRIs and SNRIs) aim to improve overall depression severity, which often results in the persistence of one or more residual symptom domains and prevents full recovery to premorbid functionality. In this review, we narratively synthesize the literature pertaining to the effectiveness of ketamine in treating key domains of depressive symptomatology (i.e., cognition, anhedonia, suicidality, and psychosocial functionality). Our findings suggest that ketamine is effective across domains varyingly, with the strongest evidence being for its ability to reduce suicidality. The rapid acting nature of ketamine further supports its use in treating suicidality and potentially preventing the completion of suicide. Evidence for the effectiveness of ketamine in other domains is weak, primarily due to a lack of robust studies specifically designed to assess these domains as primary outcomes. Future studies should scrutinize the effects of ketamine on specific domains of depression to optimize its implementation.
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27
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Ketamine-Associated Change in Anhedonia and mTOR Expression in Treatment-Resistant Depression. Biol Psychiatry 2023:S0006-3223(22)01699-7. [PMID: 36707268 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Alexander L, Wood CM, Roberts AC. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex and emotion regulation: lost in translation? J Physiol 2023; 601:37-50. [PMID: 35635793 PMCID: PMC10084434 DOI: 10.1113/jp282627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies implicate the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in a wide range of emotional and cognitive functions, and changes in activity within vmPFC have been linked to the aetiology and successful treatment of depression. However, this is a large, structurally heterogeneous region and the extent to which this structural heterogeneity reflects functional heterogeneity remains unclear. Causal studies in animals should help address this question but attempts to map findings from vmPFC studies in rodents onto human imaging studies highlight cross-species discrepancies between structural homology and functional analogy. Bridging this gap, recent studies in marmosets - a species of new world monkey in which the overall organization of vmPFC is more like humans than that of rodents - have revealed that over-activation of the caudal subcallosal region of vmPFC, area 25, but not neighbouring area 32, heightens reactivity to negatively valenced stimuli whilst blunting responsivity to positively valenced stimuli. These co-occurring states resemble those seen in depressed patients, which are associated with increased activity in caudal subcallosal regions. In contrast, only reward blunting but not heightening of threat reactivity is seen following over-activation of the structurally homologous region in rodents. To further advance understanding of the role of vmPFC in the aetiology and treatment of depression, future work should focus on the behaviourally specific networks by which vmPFC regions have their effects, together with characterization of cross-species similarities and differences in function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laith Alexander
- St Thomas’ HospitalLondonUK
- Department of Psychological MedicineSchool of Academic PsychiatryInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Christian M. Wood
- Department of PhysiologyDevelopment and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Angela C. Roberts
- Department of PhysiologyDevelopment and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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29
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Chen MH, Tu PC, Su TP. Next generation antidepressants with novel mechanisms for treatment resistant depression. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2023.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
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30
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Chaudhary P, Shah P, Mehta P. Retrospective data analysis to determine the effectiveness of intravenous ketamine therapy on patients suffering from depression with suicidal ideation. Ind Psychiatry J 2023; 32:86-92. [PMID: 37274583 PMCID: PMC10236669 DOI: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_231_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Depression is often a debilitating and recurrent psychiatric disorder. Depression with suicidal ideation, being a psychiatric emergency, often needs intensive intervention such as Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT). ECT may be refused because of stigma and perceived risk. Intravenous ketamine therapy, being an alternative to ECT for quick response compared to routine pharmaco-therapy, is analyzed to determine its effectiveness. Methods Among patients suffering from depression with suicidal ideation, intravenous ketamine therapy is routinely offered as an alternative to ECT to the needy in the Department of Psychiatry affiliated with a teaching institute. There is a standard operative procedure laid down for ketamine therapy. Baseline and periodical assessment of depression by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and suicidality by Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale is a part of it. Taking advantage of it, retrospective data analysis was done to determine the effectiveness of the therapy. Result Significant improvement of depression and suicidality found at all the evaluation points after intravenous ketamine therapy. Conclusion Intravenous ketamine therapy is an effective alternative to ECT among patients suffering from depression with suicidal ideation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradhyuman Chaudhary
- Department of Psychiatry, GMERS Medical College and Hospital, Sola, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Prathmesh Shah
- Department of Psychiatry, GMERS Medical College and Hospital, Sola, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Prakash Mehta
- Department of Psychiatry, GMERS Medical College and Hospital, Sola, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
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31
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Zheng W, Gu L, Zhou Y, Wang C, Lan X, Zhang B, Li Z, Ning Y. Baseline Plasma BDNF Levelsare Associated with Antianhedonic Effects of Repeated-Dose Intravenous Ketamine in Major Depressive Disorder. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:1013-1021. [PMID: 36173064 PMCID: PMC10227912 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220927085706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evidence has shown that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is associated with anhedonia symptoms in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, while the rapid antianhedonic effects of ketamine may occur independently of depressive symptoms. To our knowledge, the relationship between plasma BDNF (pBDNF) and the effect of repeated-dose intravenous ketamine on anhedonic symptoms has not been investigated. METHODS Seventy-five Chinese individuals with MDD received ketamine treatments. Anhedonia and pBDNF concentrations were evaluated with a subscale of the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at baseline, day 13 and day 26. RESULTS Baseline pBDNF levels were associated with changes in anhedonic symptoms on day 13 (r=0.30, P=0.008). Interestingly, pBDNF concentrations were associated with changes in anhedonia symptomson day 26 (r= -0.32, P=0.02). Baseline pBDNF levels were higher in antianhedonic responders than in antianhedonic nonresponders (F=4.2, P=0.04). Ketaminereduced anhedonia symptoms in antianhedonic responders compared to nonresponders on days 13 and 26 (all Ps<0.05). The baseline high BDNF group had a lower level of anhedonia than the low BDNF group on days 13 (P<0.001) and 26 (P=0.01). CONCLUSION Our study suggests that baseline pBDNF concentrations may predict the antianhedonic effect in individuals with MDD treated with repeated doses of ketamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zheng
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Limei Gu
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanling Zhou
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengyu Wang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaofeng Lan
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zezhi Li
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuping Ning
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Zavaliangos-Petropulu A, Al-Sharif NB, Taraku B, Leaver AM, Sahib AK, Espinoza RT, Narr KL. Neuroimaging-Derived Biomarkers of the Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 8:361-386. [PMID: 36775711 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder. Despite an extensive range of treatment options, about a third of patients still struggle to respond to available therapies. In the last 20 years, ketamine has gained considerable attention in the psychiatric field as a promising treatment of depression, particularly in patients who are treatment resistant or at high risk for suicide. At a subanesthetic dose, ketamine produces a rapid and pronounced reduction in depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, and serial treatment appears to produce a greater and more sustained therapeutic response. However, the mechanism driving ketamine's antidepressant effects is not yet well understood. Biomarker discovery may advance knowledge of ketamine's antidepressant action, which could in turn translate to more personalized and effective treatment strategies. At the brain systems level, neuroimaging can be used to identify functional pathways and networks contributing to ketamine's therapeutic effects by studying how it alters brain structure, function, connectivity, and metabolism. In this review, we summarize and appraise recent work in this area, including 51 articles that use resting-state and task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging, arterial spin labeling, positron emission tomography, structural magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, or magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study brain and clinical changes 24 hours or longer after ketamine treatment in populations with unipolar or bipolar depression. Though individual studies have included relatively small samples, used different methodological approaches, and reported disparate regional findings, converging evidence supports that ketamine leads to neuroplasticity in structural and functional brain networks that contribute to or are relevant to its antidepressant effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artemis Zavaliangos-Petropulu
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Noor B Al-Sharif
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Brandon Taraku
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Amber M Leaver
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ashish K Sahib
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Randall T Espinoza
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Katherine L Narr
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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Meshkat S, Rosenblat JD, Ho RC, Rhee TG, Cao B, Ceban F, Danayan K, Chisamore N, Vincenzo JDD, McIntyre RS. Ketamine use in pediatric depression: A systematic review. Psychiatry Res 2022; 317:114911. [PMID: 37732856 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Pediatric depression is a common psychiatric disorder that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Ketamine is a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist with demonstrated antidepressant effects in the adult population, however, the efficacy and safety of ketamine for the treatment of pediatric depression remains poorly understood. Electronic databases were searched from inception to June 2022 to identify relevant articles. Six articles involving 46 participants with a mean age of 15.7 years were included in this systematic review. Out of six articles, three were case reports, one was a randomized clinical trial (RCT) and two were open-label trials. All studies used 0.5 mg/kg intravenous ketamine except for one, which used 2-7 micrograms/kg. Ketamine was significantly associated with reduced depressive symptoms without severe adverse events. Taken together, the results of these studies demonstrated the potential role of ketamine for treating pediatric depression. Several important limitations were identified, most notably the small sample sizes of the component studies, and that all studies administered intravenous ketamine. Further studies with larger sample sizes and different administration modalities are needed to better determine the efficacy and safety of ketamine in pediatric depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakila Meshkat
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joshua D Rosenblat
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada; Braxia Health, Braxia Scientific Corp, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Roger C Ho
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Institute for Health Innovation and Technology (iHealthtech), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Taeho Greg Rhee
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; VA New England Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA; Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Bing Cao
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Faculty of Psychology, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Felicia Ceban
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kevork Danayan
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Noah Chisamore
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joshua D Di Vincenzo
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roger S McIntyre
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada; Braxia Health, Braxia Scientific Corp, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
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Zheng W, Gu LM, Yang XH, Zhou YL, Wang CY, Lan XF, Zhang B, Ning YP. Association of anhedonia and suicidal ideation in patients with treatment-refractory depression after intravenous ketamine infusions. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2022:1-6. [PMID: 36309806 DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2022.2138444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Accumulating evidence suggests that the effects of ketamine administered intravenously at subanaesthetic doses on both anhedonic symptoms and suicidal ideation occur independently of depressive symptoms in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). This study sought to determine the relationship between anhedonia and suicidal ideation after serial ketamine infusions. METHODS A total of 79 subjects with either treatment-refractory MDD (n = 60) or BD (n = 19) were included in a clinical ketamine study. The Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) anhedonia factor and the first five items of the Scale for Suicidal Ideations (SSI-Part I) were used to assess anhedonia symptoms and suicidal ideation, respectively. RESULTS At baseline, anhedonia, as measured by the MADRS, was not significantly associated with suicidal ideation or specific suicide-related ideation as measured by SSI-Part I (all p's > 0.05). Only the 'wish to die' and 'desire to make a suicide attempt' items were positively associated with anhedonia at two weeks after the sixth ketamine infusion, which was independent of the reductions in depressive symptoms (all p's < 0.05). CONCLUSION Anhedonia as measured by the MADRS appeared to not be positively related to suicidal ideation after serial ketamine infusions.KEY POINTSSerial ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) infusions have shown quick and dramatic antisuicidal and antianhedonic effects in patients with depression.The association between anhedonia and suicidal ideation after serial ketamine infusions is unclear.Anhedonia appeared to not be positively related to suicidal ideation after serial ketamine infusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zheng
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Mei Gu
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin-Hu Yang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Ling Zhou
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng-Yu Wang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Lan
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Ping Ning
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Zheng W, Yang XH, Gu LM, Tan JQ, Zhou YL, Wang CY, Ning YP. Antianhedonic effects of serial intravenous subanaesthetic ketamine in anxious versus nonanxious depression. J Affect Disord 2022; 313:72-76. [PMID: 35772627 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.06.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Patents with anxious depression have poor treatment outcomes compared to their nonanxious counterparts. Ketamine has a rapid and robust antianhedonic effect, independent of depressive symptoms. The difference in the antianhedonic effect of ketamine between patients with anxious versus nonanxious depression remains unknown. METHODS One hundred thirty-five Chinese individuals with anxious depression (n = 92) and nonanxious depression (n = 43) received six intravenous infusions of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg). Post hoc analyses compared changes in anhedonic symptoms, as measured by the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), between patients with anxious depression (defined by a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Anxiety-Somatization score ≥7) and nonanxious depression. RESULTS In this study, 68.1 % of patients were found to have anxious depression. Anxious depressed patients were associated with a relatively lower antianhedonic response (47.8 % versus 51.2 %, p > 0.05) and remission (17.4 % versus 27.9 %, p > 0.05) than their nonanxious counterparts. When compared to baseline, a significant reduction in anhedonic symptoms was observed from the first infusion to the last infusion and 2-week follow-up in both groups (all p < 0.05). A linear mixed model did not find a significant group main effect on the MADRS anhedonia subscale scores (F = 0.5, p = 0.46). CONCLUSION This preliminary study shows that repeated intravenous infusions of ketamine rapidly ameliorate anhedonic symptoms in individuals experiencing anxious depression, but these individuals displayed a weaker antianhedonic response to ketamine than nonanxious depressed patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zheng
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin-Hu Yang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Mei Gu
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Qiang Tan
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Ling Zhou
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng-Yu Wang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Ping Ning
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; The first School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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Saez E, Erkoreka L, Moreno-Calle T, Berjano B, Gonzalez-Pinto A, Basterreche N, Arrue A. Genetic variables of the glutamatergic system associated with treatment-resistant depression: A review of the literature. World J Psychiatry 2022; 12:884-896. [PMID: 36051601 PMCID: PMC9331449 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i7.884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a common, recurrent mental disorder and one of the leading causes of disability and global burden of disease worldwide. Up to 15%-40% of cases do not respond to diverse pharmacological treatments and, thus, can be defined as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The development of biomarkers predictive of drug response could guide us towards personalized and earlier treatment. Growing evidence points to the involvement of the glutamatergic system in the pathogenesis of TRD. Specifically, the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR), which are targeted by ketamine and esketamine, are proposed as promising pathways. A literature search was performed to identify studies on the genetics of the glutamatergic system in depression, focused on variables related to NMDARs and AMPARs. Our review highlights GRIN2B, which encodes the NR2B subunit of NMDAR, as a candidate gene in the pathogenesis of TRD. In addition, several studies have associated genes encoding AMPAR subunits with symptomatic severity and suicidal ideation. These genes encoding glutamatergic receptors could, therefore, be candidate genes for understanding the etiopathogenesis of TRD, as well as for understanding the pharmacodynamic mechanisms and response to ketamine and esketamine treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estela Saez
- Department of Psychiatry, Barrualde-Galdakao Integrated Health Organization, Osakidetza-Basque Health Service, Galdakao 48960, Spain
| | - Leire Erkoreka
- Department of Psychiatry, Barrualde-Galdakao Integrated Health Organization, Osakidetza-Basque Health Service, Galdakao 48960, Spain
- Mental Health Network Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo 48903, Spain
- Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa 48940, Spain
| | - Teresa Moreno-Calle
- Department of Psychiatry, Barrualde-Galdakao Integrated Health Organization, Osakidetza-Basque Health Service, Galdakao 48960, Spain
- Mental Health Network Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo 48903, Spain
| | - Belen Berjano
- Department of Psychiatry, Barrualde-Galdakao Integrated Health Organization, Osakidetza-Basque Health Service, Galdakao 48960, Spain
| | - Ana Gonzalez-Pinto
- Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa 48940, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Araba Integrated Health Organization, Osakidetza-Basque Health Service, CIBERSAM, Vitoria-Gasteiz 01004, Spain
- Severe Mental Disorders Group, Bioaraba Health Research Institute, Vitoria-Gasteiz 01009, Spain
| | - Nieves Basterreche
- Zamudio Hospital, Bizkaia Mental Health Network, Osakidetza-Basque Health Service, Zamudio 48170, Spain
- Integrative Research Group in Mental Health, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo 48903, Spain
| | - Aurora Arrue
- Mental Health Network Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo 48903, Spain
- Neurochemical Research Unit, Bizkaia Mental Health Network, Osakidetza-Basque Health Service, Barakaldo 48903, Spain
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Pizzagalli DA. Toward a Better Understanding of the Mechanisms and Pathophysiology of Anhedonia: Are We Ready for Translation? Am J Psychiatry 2022; 179:458-469. [PMID: 35775159 PMCID: PMC9308971 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20220423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Anhedonia-the loss of pleasure or lack of reactivity to pleasurable stimuli-remains a formidable treatment challenge across neuropsychiatric disorders. In major depressive disorder, anhedonia has been linked to poor disease course, worse response to psychological, pharmacological, and neurostimulation treatments, and increased suicide risk. Moreover, although some neural abnormalities linked to anhedonia normalize after successful treatment, several persist-for example, blunted activation of the ventral striatum to reward-related cues and reduced functional connectivity involving the ventral striatum. Critically, some of these abnormalities have also been identified in unaffected, never-depressed children of parents with major depressive disorder and have been found to prospectively predict the first onset of major depression. Thus, neural abnormalities linked to anhedonia may be promising targets for prevention. Despite increased appreciation of the clinical importance of anhedonia and its underlying neural mechanisms, important gaps remain. In this overview, the author first summarizes the extant knowledge about the pathophysiology of anhedonia, which may provide a road map toward novel treatment and prevention strategies, and then highlights several priorities to facilitate clinically meaningful breakthroughs. These include a need for 1) appropriately controlled clinical trials, especially those embracing an experimental therapeutics approach to probe target engagement; 2) novel preclinical models relevant to anhedonia, with stronger translational value; and 3) clinical scales that incorporate neuroscientific advances in our understanding of anhedonia. The author concludes by highlighting important future directions, emphasizing the need for an integrated, collaborative, cross-species, and multilevel approach to tackling anhedonic phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego A. Pizzagalli
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass
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The effect of ketamine on anhedonia: improvements in dimensions of anticipatory, consummatory, and motivation-related reward deficits. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2011-2039. [PMID: 35292831 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06105-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Anhedonia is a common, persistent, and disabling condition. However, available therapeutics primarily focus on the reduction of depressive and negative symptoms rather than amelioration of deficits in positive affect. As such, extant drug treatments remain largely ineffective in treating symptoms of anhedonia. Ketamine is a rapid-acting and novel therapeutic treatment for treatment-resistant depression, which has also been demonstrated to attenuate symptoms of anhedonia. However, the literature on the anti-anhedonic effects of ketamine is limited-especially within independent dimensions of this symptom domain. Herein, this review examined the impact of ketamine treatment on anhedonia and its dimensions on anticipatory, consummatory, and motivation-related reward deficits. Overall, the findings have shown a trend towards symptom reduction and/or improvements in anhedonia and their respective subdomains, in both human and preclinical studies, as well as its potential to provide additional benefit in reducing suicidality and improving quality-of-life. Although further research is required in understanding the long-term efficacy and mechanism, ketamine may provide an effective and rapid-acting therapeutic in an otherwise unmet domain.
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Orsolini L, Salvi V, Volpe U. Craving and addictive potential of esketamine as side effects? Expert Opin Drug Saf 2022; 21:803-812. [PMID: 35509224 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2022.2071422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Esketamine was approved for adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in conjunction with an oral antidepressant, and for treating depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder with acute suicidal ideation or behavior. However, evidence of great efficacy and safety of esketamine is accompanied by a widespread concern regarding its addictive potential. AREAS COVERED A comprehensive review on the craving and addictive potential of ketamine and esketamine was carried out. In addition, a clinical case of a 34-year-old TRD woman treated with esketamine who experienced drug-seeking behaviors and craving symptomatology was described and critically discussed, with a particular focus on treatment strategies to manage craving in the short- and long term. EXPERT OPINION Esketamine showed great efficacy and safety in treating TRD and MDD with acute suicidal ideation or behavior. Our clinical experience demonstrated the presence of an additive potential, which has been favorably managed with slow esketamine de-titration and combination with bupropion. However, literature so far published is scant and shows contradictory findings. Therefore, it is crucial to promptly detect and manage craving symptomatology in esketamine-treated TRD patients. In our experience, the use of bupropion to counteract craving and addictive symptoms was proven to be effective and safe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Orsolini
- Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Neurosciences/DIMSC, School of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Virginio Salvi
- Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Neurosciences/DIMSC, School of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Umberto Volpe
- Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Neurosciences/DIMSC, School of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
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Effects of stress on endophenotypes of suicide across species: A role for ketamine in risk mitigation. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 18:100450. [PMID: 35685678 PMCID: PMC9170747 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Suicide is a leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide, yet few interventions are available to mitigate its risk. Barriers to effective treatments involve a limited understanding of factors that predict the onset of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In the context of suicide risk, stress is a precipitating factor that is largely overlooked in the literature. Indeed, the pathophysiology of stress and suicide are heavily interconnected, underscoring the need to target the stress system in suicide prevention. In this review, we integrate findings from the preclinical and clinical literature that links stress and suicide. We focus specifically on the effects of stress on underlying biological functions and processes associated with suicide, allowing for the review of research using animal models. Owing to the rapid anti-suicidal effects of (R,S)-ketamine, we discuss its ability to modulate various stress-related endophenotypes of suicide, as well as its potential role in preventing suicide in those with a history of chronic life stress (e.g., early life adversity). We highlight future research directions that could advance our understanding of stress-related effects on suicide risk, advocating a dimensional, endophenotype approach to suicide research. Suicide and chronic stress pathophysiology are interconnected. Chronic stress has profound impacts on several endophenotypes of suicide. Animal and human research points to stress as a precipitating factor in suicide. Ketamine modulates specific biological processes associated with stress and suicide. Suicide research into endophenotypes can help inform risk-mitigation strategies.
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Zheng W, Gu LM, Sun CH, Zhou YL, Wang CY, Lan XF, Zhang B, Ning YP. Comparative effectiveness of repeated ketamine infusions in treating anhedonia in bipolar and unipolar depression. J Affect Disord 2022; 300:109-113. [PMID: 34965393 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Anhedonia is a common, persistent, and disabling phenomenon in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar depression (BD). This study was conducted to investigate the comparative effectiveness of repeated ketamine infusions in treating anhedonia in Chinese individuals suffering from MDD and BD. METHODS Ninety-seven individuals suffering from MDD (n = 77) or BD (n = 20) were treated with six intravenous infusions of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) administered over 40 min. Anhedonia was measured through the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The antianhedonic response and remission were defined as ≥ 50% and ≥ 75% reduction in MADRS anhedonia subscale score one day after the sixth infusion, respectively. RESULTS Anti-anhedonic response and remission rates after the sixth ketamine infusion were 48.5% (95% confidence interval = 38.3%-58.6%) and 30.9% (95% confidence interval = 21.6%-40.3%), respectively. When compared to baseline, a significant reduction in the MADRS anhedonia subscale score was observed at 4 h after the first infusion and was maintained with repeated infusions at any time point (all Ps < 0.05). The anti-anhedonic effect of ketamine did not differ between the MDD and BD groups. CONCLUSION This preliminary study found that repeated ketamine infusions appeared to be effective at rapidly ameliorating anhedonia, with similar efficacy in MDD and BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zheng
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Mei Gu
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China
| | - Chen-Hui Sun
- Qingdao Mental Health Center, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan-Ling Zhou
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng-Yu Wang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Lan
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Ping Ning
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China; The first School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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Hochschild A, Keilp JG, Madden SP, Burke AK, Mann JJ, Grunebaum MF. Ketamine vs midazolam: Mood improvement reduces suicidal ideation in depression. J Affect Disord 2022; 300:10-16. [PMID: 34953926 PMCID: PMC8828686 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Studies demonstrate rapid antidepressant and anti-suicidal ideation effects of subanesthetic ketamine. The specific subcomponents of depression that are most closely tied to reduction of suicidal ideation with ketamine treatment are less explored. METHODS Exploratory, post hoc analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial of ketamine vs midazolam in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and clinically significant suicidal ideation examined changes in factor analysis-derived symptom clusters from standard measures of depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, HDRS; Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) and mood disturbance (Profile of Mood States, POMS), and their relationship to severity of suicidal ideation (Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation; SSI). Ratings obtained before and one day after blinded intravenous infusion were decomposed into component factors or published subscales. Treatment effects on factors/subscales were compared between drugs, correlations with changes in suicidal ideation were tested, and stepwise regression was used to derive predictors of change in SSI. RESULTS Factor scores for HDRS Psychic Depression, HDRS Anxiety, BDI Subjective Depression, POMS Depression and POMS Fatigue improved more with ketamine than midazolam. Stepwise regression showed across both drugs that improvement in HDRS Psychic Depression, POMS Depression, and HDRS Anxiety predicted 51.6% of the variance in reduction of suicidal ideation. LIMITATIONS Secondary analysis of clinical trial data. CONCLUSIONS Ketamine's rapid effects on suicidal ideation appear to be mostly a function of its effects on core mood and anxiety symptoms of MDD, with comparatively little contribution from neurovegetative symptoms with the potential exception of vigor/fatigue. TRIAL REGISTRATION Data used in this secondary analysis came from ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01700829.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John G. Keilp
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Sean P. Madden
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Ainsley K. Burke
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - J. John Mann
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Michael F. Grunebaum
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
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Schaub AC, Kirschner M, Schweinfurth N, Mählmann L, Kettelhack C, Engeli EE, Doll JPK, Borgwardt S, Lang UE, Kaiser S, Walter M, Herdener M, Wrege J, Schmidt A. Neural mapping of anhedonia across psychiatric diagnoses: A transdiagnostic neuroimaging analysis. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 32:102825. [PMID: 34544030 PMCID: PMC8455863 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Anhedonia is present in many different psychiatric disorders. Anhedonia has been associated with abnormal reward-related striatal dopamine functioning. This study tested whether transdiagnostic anhedonia expression mapped onto striatal volume. Our findings suggest volumetric abnormalities in the putamen and cerebellum as a common neural substrate of anhedonia severity that cut across psychiatric entities.
Anhedonia has been associated with abnormal reward-related striatal dopamine functioning in patients with different psychiatric disorders. Here, we tested whether anhedonia expression mapped onto striatal volume across several psychiatric diagnoses. T1-weighted images from 313 participants including 89 healthy controls (HC), 22 patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), 50 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), 45 patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), 49 patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP), 43 patients with cocaine use disorder (CUD) and 15 patients with schizophrenia (SZ) were included. Anhedonia was assessed with subscores of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and/or the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was conducted for identifying dimensional symptom-structure associations using region of interest (ROI, dorsal and ventral striatum) and whole-brain analyses, as well as for group comparisons of striatal volume. ROI analyses revealed significant negative relationships between putamen volume and BDI and SANS anhedonia scores across OUD, MDD, BPD, CUD and SZ patients (n = 175) and MDD, FEP and SZ patients (n = 114), respectively. Whole-brain VBM analyses confirmed these associations and further showed negative relationships between anhedonia severity and volume of the bilateral cerebellum. There were group differences in right accumbens volume, which however were not related to anhedonia expression across the different diagnoses. Our findings indicate volumetric abnormalities in the putamen and cerebellum as a common neural substrate of anhedonia severity that cut across psychiatric entities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthias Kirschner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nina Schweinfurth
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Laura Mählmann
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cedric Kettelhack
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Etna E Engeli
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica P K Doll
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Undine E Lang
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Kaiser
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland
| | - Marc Walter
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Herdener
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Wrege
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - André Schmidt
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland.
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44
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Zhou Y, Wang C, Lan X, Li W, Chao Z, Wu K, McIntyre RS, Ning Y. Cognitive Function Mediates the Anti-suicide Effect of Repeated Intravenous Ketamine in Adult Patients With Suicidal Ideation. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:779326. [PMID: 35586411 PMCID: PMC9108147 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.779326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Prior research has shown that ketamine has anti-suicide effects. Additional evidence also suggests that ketamine may offer pro-cognitive effects. Herein, we propose that the anti-suicide effects of ketamine are partially mediated via pro-cognitive effects. We aimed to determine whether improvement in cognitive function mediated change in suicidal ideation was associated with ketamine treatment. METHODS Unipolar or bipolar depressive patients (n = 86) with suicidal ideation received six infusions of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) over 2 weeks. The current severity of suicidal ideation and depression symptoms were assessed with the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), respectively, at baseline, days 13 and 26. Cognitive domains, including processing speed, working memory, visual learning, and verbal learning were measured with the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery at the same time points. RESULTS Mediation analysis showed a significant total effect of ketamine treatment on SSI score (coef = -1.853, 95%CI [-2.2, -1.5]). The direct and total indirect (MADRS total score and any of cognitive domains) effects of ketamine on suicidal ideation both were statistically significant (direct: coef = -1.064 to -1.352; total indirect: coef = -0.501 to -0.788). MADRS total score and processing speed (but not other cognitive domains) were significant partial mediators of the association between ketamine treatment and improvements in suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION Depressive symptoms severity and processing speed performance partially mediated improvements in suicidal ideation after repeated ketamine infusions in persons with unipolar or bipolar depressive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanling Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengyu Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaofeng Lan
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weicheng Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ziyuan Chao
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kai Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou, China.,School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Roger S McIntyre
- Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, Poul Hansen Depression Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yuping Ning
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou, China.,The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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45
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Zheng W, Yang XH, Gu LM, Tan JQ, Zhou YL, Wang CY, Ning YP. Gender differences in the antianhedonic effects of repeated ketamine infusions in patients with depression. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:981981. [PMID: 36186882 PMCID: PMC9522971 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.981981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Subanaesthetic ketamine (0. 5 mg/kg/40 min intravenous infusion) produces rapid and robust antianhedonic effects in subjects with mood disorders, independent of other depressive symptoms. The objective of this study was to examine potential differences in rate of antianhedonic response to ketamine in males and females, which has not been previously examined. METHODS A total of 135 patients with depression (68 males, 67 females) who received six intravenous infusions of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg/40 min) during 2 weeks were enrolled. The anhedonia subscale of the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was utilized to measure anhedonic symptoms. Antianhedonic remission and response were defined as ≥75 and ≥50% improvement of anhedonic symptoms at 24 h after the sixth ketamine infusion (day 13). RESULTS Antianhedonic response (50 vs. 47.8%, p > 0.05) and remission (26.5 vs. 14.9%, p > 0.05) rates did not differ significantly between males and females. A linear mixed model revealed a nonsignificant between-group difference in MADRS anhedonia subscale scores [F(1, 132.5) = 1.1, p = 0.30]. Females reported a significantly larger reduction in anhedonic symptoms than males at the 2-week follow-up (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION The rates of antianhedonic response and remission to multiple ketamine infusions for the treatment of depression were similar between males and females. These findings should be verified by future studies, preferably randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zheng
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin-Hu Yang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Mei Gu
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Qiang Tan
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Ling Zhou
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng-Yu Wang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Ping Ning
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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46
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Abstract
Suicide is a leading cause of death, and presently, there is no definitive clinical indicator of future suicide behaviors. Anhedonia, a transdiagnostic symptom reflecting diminished ability to experience pleasure, has recently emerged as a risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). This overview, therefore, has the following aims. First, prior research relating anhedonia to STBs will be reviewed, with a particular focus on clarifying whether anhedonia is more closely associated with suicidal thoughts versus behaviors. Second, the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria Positive Valence Systems provide a useful heuristic to probe anhedonia across different units of analysis, including clinical symptoms, behaviors, neural mechanisms, and molecular targets. Accordingly, anhedonia-related constructs linked to STBs will be detailed as well as promising next steps for future research. Third, although anhedonia is not directly addressed in leading suicide theories, this review will provide potential inroads to explore anhedonia within diathesis-stress and interpersonal suicide frameworks. Last, novel approaches to treat anhedonia as a means of reducing STBs will be examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randy P Auerbach
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
- Division of Clinical Developmental Neuroscience, Sackler Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| | - David Pagliaccio
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
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47
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Klein ME, Grice AB, Sheth S, Go M, Murrough JW. Pharmacological Treatments for Anhedonia. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 58:467-489. [PMID: 35507281 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Anhedonia - the reduced ability to experience or respond to pleasure - is an important symptom domain for many psychiatric disorders. It is particularly relevant to depression and other mood disorders and it is a diagnostic criterion of a major depressive episode. Developing safe and effective pharmacological interventions for anhedonia is a critical public health need. The current chapter will review the state of the field with respect to both the efficacy of currently available pharmacotherapies for anhedonia and the recent clinical research focusing on new brain targets, including the kappa-opioid receptor and the KCNQ2/3 receptors. The evidence for anti-anhedonic effects of ketamine and psychedelic agents will be reviewed, as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Klein
- Depression and Anxiety Center, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Ariela Buxbaum Grice
- Depression and Anxiety Center, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sahil Sheth
- Depression and Anxiety Center, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Megan Go
- Depression and Anxiety Center, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - James W Murrough
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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48
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Watanabe K, Fujimoto S, Marumoto T, Kitagawa T, Ishida K, Nakajima T, Moriguchi Y, Fujikawa K, Inoue T. Therapeutic Potential of Vortioxetine for Anhedonia-Like Symptoms in Depression: A Post Hoc Analysis of Data from a Clinical Trial Conducted in Japan. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2022; 18:363-373. [PMID: 35221687 PMCID: PMC8865902 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s340281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Anhedonia in major depressive disorder may be resistant to first-line antidepressants. We examined the effect of vortioxetine, a multimodal antidepressant, on anhedonia-like symptoms in Japanese patients with major depressive disorder. METHODS This was a post hoc analysis of an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study of vortioxetine (10 mg or 20 mg) in Japanese patients aged 20-75 years with recurrent major depressive disorder and a Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score of at least 26. The primary outcome was the mean change from baseline to week 8 in anhedonia-like symptoms as measured by MADRS anhedonia factor score, composed of: Q1, apparent sadness; Q2, reported sadness; Q6, concentration; Q7, lassitude; and Q8, inability to feel. Mean change in MADRS total score and anhedonia factor score were compared among treatment groups, with data categorized by median baseline anhedonia factor score (0-17 or ≥18). RESULTS Data were available for 489 patients. The least-squares mean difference in MADRS anhedonia factor score change from baseline to week 8 versus placebo was -1.34 for vortioxetine 10 mg (P = 0.0300) and -1.77 for vortioxetine 20 mg (P = 0.0044). The least-squares mean difference between vortioxetine and placebo in MADRS total score change from baseline to week 8 was -3.11 (10 mg dose) and -3.37 (20 mg dose) for patients with a higher baseline anhedonia factor score (≥18), and -2.08 (10 mg) and -2.61 (20 mg) for patients with a lower baseline score (0-17). CONCLUSION This post hoc analysis suggests that vortioxetine may have therapeutic potential in patients with anhedonia-like symptoms of major depressive disorder. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier for primary study: NCT02389816.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichiro Watanabe
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinji Fujimoto
- Japan Medical Office, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuro Marumoto
- Japan Medical Office, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadayuki Kitagawa
- Takeda Development Center - Japan, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Ishida
- Takeda Development Center - Japan, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tadashi Nakajima
- Japan Medical Office, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Keita Fujikawa
- Japan Medical Office, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Inoue
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
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49
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Pulcu E, Guinea C, Cowen PJ, Murphy SE, Harmer CJ. A translational perspective on the anti-anhedonic effect of ketamine and its neural underpinnings. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:81-87. [PMID: 34158619 PMCID: PMC8960410 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01183-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Anhedonia, a pronounced reduction in interest or pleasure in any of life's daily activities, is a cardinal symptom of major depression. In this Perspective article, we synthesise the recent evidence from rodent, monkey and human neuroimaging literature to highlight how the habenula, a small evolutionarily conserved subcortical structure located in the midbrain, may orchestrate the behavioural expression of anhedonia across fronto-mesolimbic networks. We then review how this circuitry can be modulated by ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist with rapid antidepressant properties. We propose that experimental paradigms founded in reinforcement learning and value-based decision-making can usefully probe this network and thereby help elucidate the mechanisms underlying ketamine's rapid antidepressant action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erdem Pulcu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
| | - Calum Guinea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Philip J Cowen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Susannah E Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Catherine J Harmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
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50
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Kangas BD, Der-Avakian A, Pizzagalli DA. Probabilistic Reinforcement Learning and Anhedonia. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 58:355-377. [PMID: 35435644 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the prominence of anhedonic symptoms associated with diverse neuropsychiatric conditions, there are currently no approved therapeutics designed to attenuate the loss of responsivity to previously rewarding stimuli. However, the search for improved treatment options for anhedonia has been reinvigorated by a recent reconceptualization of the very construct of anhedonia, including within the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative. This chapter will focus on the RDoC Positive Valence Systems construct of reward learning generally and sub-construct of probabilistic reinforcement learning specifically. The general framework emphasizes objective measurement of a subject's responsivity to reward via reinforcement learning under asymmetrical probabilistic contingencies as a means to quantify reward learning. Indeed, blunted reward responsiveness and reward learning are central features of anhedonia and have been repeatedly described in major depression. Moreover, these probabilistic reinforcement techniques can also reveal neurobiological mechanisms to aid development of innovative treatment approaches. In this chapter, we describe how investigating reward learning can improve our understanding of anhedonia via the four RDoC-recommended tasks that have been used to probe sensitivity to probabilistic reinforcement contingencies and how such task performance is disrupted in various neuropsychiatric conditions. We also illustrate how reverse translational approaches of probabilistic reinforcement assays in laboratory animals can inform understanding of pharmacological and physiological mechanisms. Next, we briefly summarize the neurobiology of probabilistic reinforcement learning, with a focus on the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, striatum, and amygdala. Finally, we discuss treatment implications and future directions in this burgeoning area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Kangas
- Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
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