Ketamine: A novel antidepressant with a fast onset of action?:Commentary on… cochrane corner

SUMMARY Glutamate receptor modulators, including ketamine, are possible candidates for new antidepressants with a novel mode of action. The pair of reviews discussed in this month’s Round the Corner considered their use in treating unipolar major depression and bipolar depression. Promising results were seen for ketamine, but further studies are needed, in particular to investigate whether the benefits are sustained or can be extended by repeated or adjunctive treatment, whether ketamine is effective in treatment resistance, whether other modes of administration are as effective as the intravenous route and the long-term adverse effects of use.