Esketamine-Induced Dissociation: A Case Report.
Jake Scarcella, Jeffrey MacDaniels, Lucinda Coffin, Thomas Schwartz
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs November 10, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2024.2424283 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 41-year-old female with treatment-resistant depression |
| Intervention | Esketamine |
| Topics | Esketamine |
| Keywords | Treatment-resistant depression trd Adverse effect ae #depression-treatment trd Therapy Antidepressant #esketamine ketamine #adverse-effects ae Side effects Drug reactions #dissociation dep |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | A patient with treatment-resistant depression developed a severe dissociative episode with hallucinogenic-like phenomena while taking esketamine, despite significant improvement in depressive symptoms. |
Abstract
Esketamine, the isolated S-enantiomer of ketamine, has been a recent breakthrough as a non-monoaminergic treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This case report explores a rare adverse event in a 41-year-old female with TRD, who, despite experiencing significant depressive improvement with esketamine, encountered a severe dissociative episode accompanied by hallucinogenic-like phenomena. While esketamine's efficacy in TRD is well-documented, this pronounced dissociation should be taken into consideration by researchers and clinicians before prescribing. As esketamine continues to aid TRD treatment, comprehension of its safety profile becomes essential for informed decision-making, ensuring optimized patient care in the vast development of antidepressant therapies.