Ketamine as an adjunctive therapy for major depression - a randomised controlled pragmatic pilot trial (Karma-Dep Trial).

ABSTRACT: Background: Depression is a common psychiatric disorder that has become the leading cause of disability worldwide. The standard medical care for depression over the past 50 years has focused on monoamine neurotransmitters. These treatments can take weeks to take effect, highlighting the need for novel treatment strategies. One such approach may be ketamine. Ketamine acts as an antagonist of the N-methyl-D-asparate receptor and thus targets the excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter glutamate. Interestingly, at sub-anaesthetic doses, a single infusion of ketamine can elicit a rapid, though transient, antidepressant response.  Methods: The aim of this study was to conduct a pragmatic randomised controlled pilot trial of four once-weekly ketamine infusions as an adjunctive therapy for depress

SUBMITTER: Gallagher B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8729188 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature