BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW ON THE PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF KETAMINE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA AND DEPRESSION"
ketamine; NMDA; schizophrenia; depression
Ketamine is an NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) glutamate receptor antagonist, which has a myriad of pharmacological and behavioral effects, including anesthetic, sedative, amnestic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, at subanesthetic doses, numerous studies over several decades have established a relevant profile of ketamine in both the study of schizophrenia and the treatment of depression. In this review of the scientific literature, an overview of the state-of-the-art role of ketamine as a pharmacological model of schizophrenia and as an antidepressant drug both in animal models and in studies with human participants is discussed. The action of this compound for the induction of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms helped to shape and consolidate the glutamatergic hypothesis of schizophrenia. On the other hand, there are very promising the clinical and preclinical results of ketamine in the treatment of refractory. When exploring the mechanisms of action of this compound, in both psychiatric disorders, especially through the involvement of NMDA receptors, a mutual contribution between research lines in Psychopharmacology is evidenced.