Replication of ketamine's antidepressant efficacy in bipolar depression: a randomized controlled add-on trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Currently, no pharmacological treatments for bipolar depression exist that exert rapid (within hours) antidepressant or antisuicidal effects. We previously reported that intravenous administration of the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist ketamine produced rapid antidepressant effects in patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression. The present study sought to replicate this finding in an independent sample.

Methods

In this double-blind, randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled study, 15 subjects with DSM-IV bipolar I or II depression maintained on therapeutic levels of lithium or valproate received a single intravenous infusion of either ketamine hydrochloride (.5 mg/kg) or placebo on 2 test days 2 weeks apart. The primary outcome measure was the Montgomery

SUBMITTER: Zarate CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3343177 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature