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Ketamine and the core symptoms of autism

Theodore Kastner, Kevin Walsh, Lisa Shulman, Farah Alam, Samuel Flood

International Journal on Disability and Human Development 2016 DOI: 10.1515/ijdhd-2015-0003 (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 1
Population A patient with severe intellectual disability and autism
Intervention Ketamine
Topics Esketamine Ketamine
Key findings The authors argue that claims of ketamine as an autism treatment are premature, based on a single case in which a patient with severe intellectual disability reportedly showed dramatic but short-lived remission of core autism symptoms after incidental ketamine treatment. They contend further analysis is needed.

Abstract

Abstract: Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behavioral syndrome characterized by (a) persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts and (b) restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities. However, the etiology of autism in most cases remains unknown. Ketamine, an N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) blocker, has been purported by some as a possible treatment for autism. This conclusion is premature. Here, we present a single case study in which a patient with a severe intellectual disability was said to have demonstrated a dramatic, albeit short-lived, remission of the core symptoms of autism following adventitious treatment with ketamine. Although this anecdote is encouraging, we argue that further analysis of ketamine as a treatment for autism is needed.

Comparable studies

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

Study Year Design Participants
The destruction of the lower urinary tract by ketamine abuse: a new syndrome? Young recreational abusers of street-ketamine in Hong Kong referred to urology units 2008 Retrospective case series n = 59
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
Treatment of compulsive behaviour in eating disorders with intermittent ketamine infusions Chronic and treatment-resistant eating disorder patients 1998 Case series n = 15
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

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