Ketamine as adjuvant treatment in eating disorders: an exploratory study of a case series and retrospective analysis.
Journal of eating disorders March 17, 2025 Paula J Escobedo-Aedo, Chris Serrand, Sarah Kabani et al. 4 citations
Eating disorders severely harm physical health and daily functioning, and few effective treatments exist, especially for anorexia nervosa. In a case series of eight female patients aged 16 to 44 with anorexia nervosa, intravenous ketamine was added to usual care to target rigid, food-focused thoughts. Some sessions included psychomotor or psychological support for body image, self-esteem, and re-exposure to feared foods. Ketamine adjuvant treatment significantly improved body mass index, with a coefficient of 0.71, and showed a tendency to improve weight regain after the fourth or fifth infusion. It also reduced anorexia-related psychopathology and obsessive-compulsive symptoms like rumination and cognitive rigidity. Ketamine's pro-plasticity and pro-neurogenesis effects may underlie these benefits, suggesting it as a potential option after first-line treatment failure.