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COMBINATION OF INTRAVENOUS KETAMINE AND ELECTROCONVULSOTHERAPY FOR TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Luísa Soares Capa, Gabrielle Simon Tronco, Virginia Nascimento Reinert, J. Klockner, P. M. Mariussi, M. Fighera

International Journal of Health Sciences April 5, 2023 DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.1593252303041 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Review Peer reviewed
Interventions Intravenous ketamine electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
Topics Depression Esketamine Ketamine
Key findings The authors report that recent studies indicate combining intravenous ketamine with ECT can be an effective treatment for treatment-resistant depression, and they propose it as a promising option for patients who do not respond to other treatments, while cautioning that more research is needed to confirm efficacy and safety.

Abstract

: Treatment-resistant depression is a common psychiatric disorder that can lead to significant disability and decreased quality of life for patients. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the combination of intravenous ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine is an anesthetic that is an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist that also has antidepressant properties and has been used to treat treatment-resistant depression. ECT is a treatment for depression that involves applying electric current to the brain to induce therapeutic seizures. Recent studies have shown that the combination of intravenous ketamine and ECT can be an effective treatment for treatment-resistant depression. Although more research is still needed to fully understand the efficacy and safety of the combination of intravenous ketamine and ECT for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression, combination therapy may be a promising option for patients who do not respond to other treatments.

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