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Case Reports Showing a Long-Term Effect of Subanesthetic Ketamine Infusion in Reducing l-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesias.

Scott J Sherman, Miguel Estevez, Ari B Magill, Torsten Falk

Case Reports in Neurology 2016 DOI: 10.1159/000444278 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case study Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size 5
Population Parkinson's disease patients with levodopa-induced dyskinesia
Intervention Low-dose subanesthetic intravenous ketamine infusion
Topics Depression Esketamine Ketamine
Keywords Hypersynchrony Levodopa Nmda receptors Pain Parkinson's disease
Key findings Low-dose subanesthetic intravenous ketamine infusion was associated with long-lasting reductions in levodopa-induced dyskinesia, improved on time, and reduced depression in five Parkinson's disease patients. The authors hypothesize that ketamine may act as a 'chemical deep brain stimulation' by desynchronizing hypersynchronous oscillatory brain activity, and they call for a controlled prospective clinical trial.

Abstract

Ketamine is an FDA-approved drug with a known safety profile. Low-dose subanesthetic intravenous ketamine infusion treatment has led to long-term reduction of treatment-resistant depression and of chronic pain states. We report on low-dose subanesthetic intravenous ketamine infusion treatment in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients by 5 case studies and show a long-lasting therapeutic benefit to reduce l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID), improve on time, and reduce depression. Based on the literature we hypothesize that low-dose ketamine may act as a 'chemical deep brain stimulation', by desynchronizing hypersynchronous oscillatory brain activity, including in the basal ganglia and the motor cortex. The presented PD case reports indicate tolerability, safety and long-term beneficial effects of low-dose ketamine infusion that should be further investigated in a properly controlled prospective clinical trial for treatment of LID, as well as the prevalent nonmotor features pain and depression in PD patients.

Comparable studies

Other case reports and case series on ketamine for depression, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Electroconvulsive Therapy, Ketamine, and Esketamine in a Patient with Major Depressive Disorder and Multiple Comorbidities: A Case Report over 10-year Treatment from Adolescence to Adulthood. A patient with treatment-resistant depression and comorbid generalized anxiety... 2025 Case report n = 1
Oral Administration of the NMDA Receptor Antagonist S-Ketamine as Add-On Therapy of Depression: A Case Series Four depressed patients taking standard antidepressants 2009 Case series n = 4
A longitudinal case series of IM ketamine for patients with severe and enduring eating disorders and comorbid treatment‐resistant depression Patients with enduring eating disorders and treatment-resistant depression 2021 Case series n = 4
Effects of intranasal (S)-ketamine on Veterans with co-morbid treatment-resistant depression and PTSD: A retrospective case series Veterans with co-morbid depression and PTSD 2022 Retrospective case series n = 35
Case report: Intramuscular ketamine or intranasal esketamine as a treatment in four patients with major depressive disorder and comorbid anorexia nervosa Patients with anorexia nervosa and a comorbid depressive disorder treated at a private... 2023 Case report n = 4

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