A new clinical trial strengthens the case that ketamine -- once famous as a club drug -- can rapidly ease suicidal thoughts.
Exactly how ketamine brings relief to people in deep distress is not fully clear. But researchers know the drug has brain targets that are different from standard antidepressants, and that includes boosting activity in a chemical called glutamate, which helps brain cells communicate with each other. Studies also suggest ketamine fosters the regrowth of synapses -- connections among brain cells that can be depleted in people with long-standing depression.
By day three, ketamine patients had double the rate of remission, meaning their suicidal thoughts had resolved. The difference was no longer statistically significant after six weeks, as patients in both groups were faring better: 69.5% of ketamine patients were in remission, as were 56% of placebo patients.
That's surprising because ketamine is generally given to people with severe depression, and not bipolar disorder, said Dr. Riccardo De Giorgi of the University of Oxford in England, who wrote"It may suggest that the biological and psychological mechanisms behind suicidal ideation perhaps differ between these two disorders -- an important avenue for further research," he said.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
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