Long-Term Effects of Ketamine Infusions in Comparison to Combination Therapy involving additional rTMS, Neurofeedback and Psychotherapy - A Retrospective Survey Study of Subjective Effects
Johanna Kreßner, Anja Frank, Mario H W Scheib
January 13, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/2hc8a (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study using retrospective self-report and descriptive statistics |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 26 |
| Population | Patients with mental disorders, primarily depression, who had received ketamine treatment |
| Interventions | Ketamine rTMS Neurofeedback Psychotherapy |
| Topics | Esketamine Ketamine |
| Key findings | Of 26 patients who had received ketamine therapy, 25 reported long-term mood improvement even long after treatment ended. Patients who received ketamine combined with rTMS, neurofeedback, and psychotherapy reported better mood than those who received ketamine infusions alone, suggesting a superior effect for combination treatment. |
Abstract
Background: The anesthetic Ketamine has been shown to exert rapid effects in a variety of mental disorders, especially in depression. Recent studies have demonstrated that Ketamine can improve neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and form new neuronal connections (Aleksandrova & Phillips, 2021).
Aim: To examine the long-term effects of Ketamine without and in combination with other treatments.
Method: 26 patients, some of them who only received ketamine and some of them who received additionally rTMS, Neurofeedback and Psychotherapy, were asked to estimate (partially retrospectively) how their mood was expressed pre-treatment, post-treatment and at the time of the survey. The results were analyzed by using descriptive statistics.
Results: 25 patients showed a long-term improved effect in their mood after the treatment, even though the treatment was carried out a long time ago. Patients who received a combination of treatments showed a better mood, than the patients who solely got ketamine infusions.
Conclusions: Patients who received ketamine therapy exhibited promising lasting effects. Their mood changed considerably, regardless of whether they only got ketamine infusions or a combination treatment, but combining ketamine with other treatments seems to have a superior effect.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on ketamine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taming the Ketamine Tiger Volunteers from a prison population | 2010 | Observational study | n = 20 |
| Increased spontaneous MEG signal diversity for psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD and psilocybin Humans | 2017 | Observational study | |
| Disruption of Frontal–Parietal Communication by Ketamine, Propofol, and Sevoflurane Surgical patients undergoing induction of anesthesia with intravenous ketamine | 2013 | Observational cohort | n = 30 |
| Do the dissociative side effects of ketamine mediate its antidepressant effects? Treatment-resistant inpatients with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder | 2014 | Observational cohort | n = 108 |
| Concomitant BDNF and sleep slow wave changes indicate ketamine-induced plasticity in major depressive disorder Patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder | 2012 | Observational cohort | n = 30 |
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- Comparative efficacy of racemic ketamine and esketamine for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis Journal of Affective Disorders September 23, 2020
- Neuroplasticity as a convergent mechanism of ketamine and classical psychedelics TIPS - Trends in Pharmacological Sciences September 24, 2021
- Real-world effectiveness of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression: A systematic review & meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research May 1, 2022
- A historical review of antidepressant effects of ketamine and its enantiomers. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior February 5, 2020
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy May Sustain Antidepressant Effects of Intravenous Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2017
and 4 more in the library