Ketamine Therapy in Patients of Alcohol Use Disorder: A Prospective Pilot Study to Evaluate Abstinence Rate with This Add-on Treatment Modality
Nidhi Purushottum Marvania, Anto Leroy Rayan, Dhruti Vijaykumar Merchant, Drashti Paragkumar Shah, Prakash Ishwarlal Mehta, Fenil Dineshkumar Modh
Annals of Indian Psychiatry September 3, 2024 DOI: 10.4103/aip.aip_110_24 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 18 |
| Population | Individuals with alcohol use disorder |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Duration | Three doses with a 3-day gap between each; final assessment after three sessions |
| Topics | Addiction Esketamine Ketamine |
| Keywords | Abstinence and craving Ketamine therapy Paired t-test |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Ketamine therapy significantly increased confidence to abstain from alcohol, with a 51.98% increase in mean scores from baseline. |
Abstract
Background: Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are emerging as a substance use disorder having various psychological and physical ill effects leading to hampering of individual’s productivity and functioning.
Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ketamine in enhancing confidence levels to abstain from alcohol.
Methods: Eighteen patients were administered ketamine intravenously after detoxification; a total of three doses, with a 3-day gap between each. The Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy Scale was used to measure their confidence in abstaining from alcohol.
Results: The study revealed a significant increase in mean confidence scores after three ketamine sessions, with a final assessment showing a 51.98% increase in confidence from baseline.
Conclusions: The study found that ketamine therapy significantly increased confidence levels in individuals with AUD to abstain from alcohol, with P = 0.05 threshold. However, the impact may wane over time, suggesting the need for additional support or maintenance treatments.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on ketamine for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ketamine Psychedelic Therapy (KPT): A Review of the Results of Ten Years of Research Alcoholic patients | 1997 | Controlled clinical trial | n = 211 |
| Acute Subjective Experiences of Intravenous Ketamine Therapy Among Medically Hospitalized Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder. Inpatients with alcohol use disorder receiving intravenous ketamine therapy | 2024 | Secondary analysis of clinical trial data with directed content analysis | n = 12 |
| The Montreal model of ketamine-therapy for alcohol use disorder and comorbid treatment-resistant depression: protocol for a feasibility trial Adults diagnosed with both alcohol use disorder and treatment-resistant depression | 2026 | Single-group, open-label feasibility trial | n = 30 |
| Adjunctive Ketamine With Relapse Prevention-Based Psychological Therapy in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder People with alcohol use disorder | 2022 | Pilot trial | |
| Ketamine to enhance methadone treatment retention in patients with opioid use disorder and co-morbid depression Patients diagnosed with opioid use disorder initiating methadone treatment and... | 2025 | Case series (single-arm open-label feasibility trial) | n = 3 |