‘In and Out of the Hole’

In Chapter 17, “‘In and Out of the Hole’: An Exploration on Phencyclidine Derivatives”, Attilio Negri and Sulaf Assi look at ketamine and at the latest phencyclidine derivatives. It presents an in-depth analysis in terms of both the recreational use and the uses in medical settings, including a review of the recent research on their antidepressant effect. The chapter also highlights analogies and differences between NMDA antagonists in terms of their chemical structure, desired and adverse effects, and potential clinical applications.