Relevant studies on the use of ketamine in the treatment of depression

Ketamin-augmentierte Psychotherapie-Sitzung in der OVID Clinics Berlin

Ketamine has been used safely and with few complications in medicine for almost 60 years.

Its potential as an antidepressant was a chance discovery and has been the subject of international research for about 25 years:

In low doses, ketamine has a strong antidepressant and antisuicidal effect that occurs within a few hours or days – in contrast to classic antidepressants, which often take weeks to take effect.

Ketamine works differently: While the well-known antidepressants aim to compensate for a deficit in the neurotransmitters, ketamine makes the brain more receptive to the existing neurotransmitters (e.g. serotonin) and also promotes the formation of new connections between brain cells. This makes the brain more flexible and more receptive to changes - a decisive advantage in psychotherapy.

When used responsibly and under medical supervision, the risk of abuse or the likelihood of developing substance dependence with ketamine is very low. Nevertheless, the potential for abuse should not go unmentioned.

The main effects of ketamine:

• Rapid relief of depressive symptoms ¹ – often after the first treatment within a few hours/days

  
  

• Dissolving negative thought loops ²– new perspectives become possible

  
  

• Reduction of anxiety and trauma consequences ³ – particularly effective for PTSD and anxiety disorders

  
  

• Promoting neuroplasticity ⁴ – the brain becomes more receptive to new experiences

  
  

• Relief of chronic pain ⁵ – especially in cases of psychologically caused pain disorders

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sources

1. Feder, A., Parides, MK, Murrough, JW, Perez, AM, Morgan, JE, Saxena, S., ... & Charney, DS (2014). Efficacy of intravenous ketamine for treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 71(6), 681-688. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.62

2. Duman, R. S., & Aghajanian, G. K. (2012). Synaptic dysfunction in depression: potential therapeutic targets. Science , 338(6103), 68-72. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1222939

3. Krystal, JH, Abdallah, CG, Sanacora, G., Charney, DS, & Duman, RS (2019). Ketamine: A paradigm shift for depression research and treatment. Neuron, 101(5), 774-778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2019.02.005

4. Noppers, I., Niesters, M., Aarts, L., Smith, T., Sarton, E., & Dahan, A. (2011). Ketamine for the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 11(14), 2417-2429. https://doi.org/10.1517/14656566.2010.510790

5. Phillips, J.L., Norris, S., Talbot, J., Hatchard, T., Ortiz, A., Birmingham, M., & Blier, P. (2019). Single, repeated, and maintenance ketamine infusions for treatment-resistant depression: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Psychiatry, 176(5), 401-409. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.18070834