@article{ref1,
title="Treatment-resistant major depression: rationale for NMDA receptors as targets and nitrous oxide as therapy",
journal="Frontiers in psychiatry",
year="2015",
author="Zorumski, Charles F. and Nagele, Peter and Mennerick, Steven and Conway, Charles R.",
volume="6",
number="",
pages="172-172",
abstract="Major depressive disorder (MDD) remains a huge personal and societal encumbrance. Particularly burdensome is a virulent subtype of MDD, treatment resistant major depression (TMRD), which afflicts 15-30% of MDD patients. There has been recent interest in N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) as targets for treatment of MDD and perhaps TMRD. To date, most pre-clinical and clinical studies have focused on ketamine, although psychotomimetic and other side effects may limit ketamine's utility. These considerations prompted a recent promising pilot clinical trial of nitrous oxide, an NMDAR antagonist that acts through a mechanism distinct from that of ketamine, in patients with severe TRMD. In this paper, we review the clinical picture of TRMD as a subtype of MDD, the evolution of ketamine as a fast-acting antidepressant, and clinical and basic science studies supporting the possible use of nitrous oxide as a rapid antidepressant.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1664-0640",
doi="10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00172",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00172"
}