Photo: ©iStock/Jeniffer Fontan

(05/01/2025) VA San Diego researchers analyzed the VA San Diego Neuromodulation Program, in which health care professionals administered esketamine intranasally or ketamine intravenously to Veterans as part of a therapy program. The results showed the treatments helped reduce PTSD and depression symptoms in most Veterans, but when the Veterans had both traumatic brain injury (TBI) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as well, the effectiveness of the treatment for depression decreased instead. The researchers examined the medical records of 119 Veterans. All Veterans saw a drop of almost 11 points on a standard measure of PTSD after treatment, and only those volunteers with both TBI and OSA did not see reduced depression symptoms. The results suggest multiple factors should be considered before ketamine or esketamine is advised as a treatment for Veterans. (CNS Drugs, Apr. 26, 2025)