Lithium continuation therapy following ketamine in patients with treatment resistant unipolar depression: a randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT: The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist ketamine is associated with rapid but transient antidepressant effects in patients with treatment resistant unipolar depression (TRD). Based on work suggesting that ketamine and lithium may share overlapping mechanisms of action, we tested lithium compared to placebo as a continuation strategy following ketamine in subjects with TRD. Participants who met all eligibility criteria and showed at least an initial partial response to a single intravenous infusion of ketamine 0.5 mg/kg were randomized under double-blind conditions to lithium or matching placebo before receiving an additional three infusions of ketamine. Subsequent to the ketamine treatments, participants remained on lithium or placebo during a double-blind continuation phase. T

SUBMITTER: Costi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6784998 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature