The Rapid Antidepressant Response Of Ketamine

In a study of ketamine’s effects in patients in the depressive phase of bipolar disorder, ketamine restored pleasure-seeking behavior independent from and ahead of its other antidepressant effects. Within 40 minutes after a single infusion of ketamine Chicago, treatment-resistant depressed bipolar disorder patients experienced a reversal of a key symptom—loss of interest in pleasurable activities—which lasted up to 14 days.

ketamine depression study

PET scans revealed that ketamine rapidly restored bipolar depressed patients’ ability to anticipate pleasurable experiences by boosting activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (yellow) and related circuitry. The picture shows PET scan data superimposed on anatomical MRI.

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Revive vibrancy in your life with our therapy. Book now to rediscover life’s brilliance.

FAQs

Find answers, gain clarity, and embark on your journey with confidence

What is IV ketamine therapy?

Ketamine is an anesthetic medication that blocks the NMDA receptor that has also been used as a recreational drug due to its dissociative properties. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines because of its safety and efficacy for anesthesia. More recently, ketamine has been discovered as a safe and effective treatment for depression, and randomized controlled trials have shown rapid improvement in mood as well as reduction in suicidality compared to people who receive a placebo or another drug.

Is ketamine right for me?

Adults age 18 and over who suffer from severe depression and have not had success with traditional treatments for depression are eligible for ketamine treatment. Our comprehensive evaluation will include a medical history and basic lab results to ensure ketamine therapy is safe for you.

How does IV ketamine therapy work?

Several randomized controlled trials demonstrate that ketamine has made a significant improvement in depressive symptoms and suicidality over the course of the first 2 weeks. In fact, if ketamine does not work for you after 2 sessions, the data suggest it is unlikely to work at all. Several studies have looked at how long the effects of Ketamine last. This graph shows just one such study’s results.

Are there any risks associated with ketamine therapy?

For depression, the doses of ketamine used are much lower than the dose for anesthesia, making it relatively safe. That said, ketamine does carry the risk of changing your blood pressure and heart rate, which we will monitor throughout the ketamine infusion therapy. Longer term risks include urinary symptoms, cognitive impairment (with prolonged use), and substance use disorders. We will monitor for these symptoms throughout the treatment.

When considering ketamine treatment, patients want to know how much ketamine depression treatments cost. Ketamine therapy can be very effective in relieving the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression.