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Vagus Nerve Stimulation As an Adjunctive Neurostimulation Tool in Treatment-resistant Depression
Published on: January 7, 2019
Robust and sustained effect of ketamine infusions coadministered with conventional antidepressants in a patient with
José Manuel Montes1, Elena Luján2, Fernado Pascual2
1Psychiatry Service, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Universidad de Alcalá, CIBERSAM, IRYCIS, Carretera Colmenar km. 9.1, 28034 Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
Antidepressant treatments show low capacity to achieve full clinical remissions. Electroconvulsive therapy is an alternative treatment which has been shown to be more effective but it is not well tolerated and there are concerns regarding its safety. We present the case of a patient with resistant depression and modest and transient response to ECT and who showed a robust and maintained response after six i.v. ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) infusions without withdrawing her antidepressant regimen. Ketamine was very well tolerated. This case illustrates the potential role of ketamine as a booster to standard antidepressants.
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