Ketamine as an alternative to ECT in catatonia in elderly women with bipolar disorder: A case report.
Shanthi Sarma, Arulmathy Arunachalam, Memunatu Kamara, Grace Branjerdporn
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1138772 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2 |
| Population | Patients with catatonic depression in bipolar disorder referred for ECT |
| Topics | Depression Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Covid-19 Bipolar disorder Catatonia Electroconvulsive therapy ect |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | Intravenous ketamine resolved catatonic symptoms in two patients with bipolar disorder who were not medically fit for ECT. |
Abstract
The following paper described two cases of patients with catatonic depression in bipolar disorder (BD) referred to our electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) service. Both were deemed not medically fit for ECT, and were, instead, treated with intravenous (IV) ketamine. Both responded with a resolution of symptoms, returning to baseline level of functioning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, given the risks associated with providing ECT (an aerosol generating procedure) and, in the context of limited resources, ketamine therapy for catatonia is a potentially beneficial alternative or supportive treatment to ECT that merits additional research.