Ketamine reduces suicidal ideation in severely depressed patients
Suicidal depressed patients need rapid relief from suicidal ideation. Standard antidepressants may reduce suicidal ideation and behaviour in depressed adults, mediated by improvement in depression, but this effect takes weeks. In recent study researchers from Columbia University found that ketamine, a subanesthetic drug, improves neurocognition in patients with depression and suicidal ideation within a day. The study findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry on November 2, 2021.
Previous studies have demonstrated that ketamine rapidly reduces depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in some depressed patients. However, its effects on neurocognitive functioning in such individuals with significant suicidal ideation are understudied, even though certain neurocognitive deficits are associated with suicide behaviour beyond clinical symptoms. Therefore, Dr John G. Keilp, PhD and his team conducted a study to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms behind ketamin's effect on depression and decided to examine the drug's impact on neurocognitive performance. They also compared the effectiveness of two medications, Ketamine and Midazolam, for rapidly relieving suicidal thoughts in people suffering from depression.
For more details, check out the full story at the link below:
Ketamine Swiftly Reduces Suicidal Ideation In Patients With Depression
Disclaimer: This site is primarily intended for healthcare professionals. Any content/information on this website does not replace the advice of medical and/or health professionals and should not be construed as medical/diagnostic advice/endorsement/treatment or prescription. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use, privacy policy, advertisement policy. © 2024 Minerva Medical Treatment Pvt Ltd