Effects of intravenous ketamine on explicit and implicit measures of suicidality in treatment-resistant depression.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Intravenous ketamine has shown rapid antidepressant effects in early trials, making it a potentially attractive candidate for depressed patients at imminent risk of suicide. The Implicit Association Test (IAT), a performance-based measure of association between concepts, may have utility in suicide assessment.

Methods

Twenty-six patients with treatment-resistant depression were assessed using the suicidality item of the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS-SI) 2 hours before and 24 hours following a single subanesthetic dose of intravenous ketamine. Ten patients also completed IATs assessing implicit suicidal associations at comparable time points. In a second study, nine patients received thrice-weekly ketamine infusions over a 12-day period.

Resul

SUBMITTER: Price RB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2935847 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature