Expert opinion on drug metabolism & toxicology
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Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol · Nov 2012
ReviewPharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations for NMDA receptor antagonists in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain.
Chronic neuropathic pain is a debilitating disease caused by a lesion of the somatosensory nervous system. The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) plays an important role in the development of this pain state. Proof of efficacy of NMDAR inhibitors in treating neuropathic pain is limited, with the non-selective NMDAR antagonist ketamine being most effective. ⋯ More proof from good-quality randomized clinical trials on the efficacy of NMDAR inhibitors is required. A major advantage of ketamine therapy is the ability of the molecule to induce rapid and potent antidepressant effects. This is relevant taken the fact that chronic pain and depression are closely linked and are often present in the same patient.