Ketamine as a therapeutic agent in major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder: Potential medicinal and deleterious effects

Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress (PTSD) are the most common causes of emotional distress that impair an individual's quality life. MDD is a chronic mental illness affects 300 million people across world. Clinical manifestations include fatigue, loss interest in routine tasks, psychomotor agitation, impaired ability to focus, suicidal ideation, hypersomnolence, altered psychosocial functioning, appetite loss. Individuals with depression also demonstrate reduced behavioral response while experiencing pleasure, symptom known as anhedonia. Like MDD, PTSD prevalent debilitating psychiatric resulting from traumatic incident such sexual assault, war, severe accident, or natural disaster. Symptoms recalling event phases, hypervigilance, irritability, anhedonia PTSD. Both pose enormous socioeconomic burdens globe. The search for effective treatment minimal side effects still ongoing. Ketamine its anesthetic analgesic properties. Psychedelic psychotropic ketamine have been found on nervous system, which highlights toxicity. In this article, effectiveness potential therapeutic along mechanisms action, clinical trials, possible discussed.