Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 1, 1997
Evgeny Krupitsky, A. Y. Grinenko
241 citations
Adding ketamine psychedelic therapy (KPT) to standard alcoholism treatment substantially improved long-term abstinence rates. In a controlled clinical trial, 65.8% of alcoholic patients (73 out of 111) who received KPT remained totally abstinent for more than one year, compared to 24% (24 out of 100) in the conventional treatment control group. Psychological changes included harmonization of personality profiles on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, positive shifts in unconscious self-concept and emotional attitudes, and increased spiritual development, all favoring a sober lifestyle. Biochemical evidence indicated KPT affects monoaminergic and opioidergic neurotransmitter systems involved in alcohol dependence. EEG analysis showed increased theta activity in cerebrocortical regions, suggesting reinforced limbic-cortex interaction during sessions.
Journal of substance abuse treatment
December 1, 2002
Evgeny Krupitsky, Andrey Burakov, Tatyana Romanova et al.
240 citations
In a double-blind randomized clinical trial, seventy detoxified heroin-addicted patients received either a high psychedelic dose (2.0 mg/kg) or a low non-psychedelic dose (0.2 mg/kg) of ketamine combined with existentially oriented psychotherapy. The high dose produced a full psychedelic experience and led to significantly greater abstinence rates over two years, a greater and longer-lasting reduction in heroin craving, and more positive change in unconscious emotional attitudes compared to the low dose. Both patients and therapists were unaware of the dose given.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 1, 2007
Evgeny Krupitsky, Andrei M. Burakov, I. V. Dunaevsky et al.
176 citations
People with heroin dependence who received three sessions of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KPT) were more likely to remain abstinent at one-year follow-up than those who received only one session. In a randomized trial, 59 detoxified inpatients first received a KPT session before discharge, then were assigned to either two additional monthly KPT sessions plus counseling or two monthly counseling sessions alone. At one year, 50% (13 of 26) of the multiple-session group stayed abstinent, compared to 22.2% (6 of 27) of the single-session group. No differences emerged between groups in depression, anxiety, craving for heroin, or understanding of life meaning. Three KPT sessions appear more effective than one for promoting abstinence.
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies
July 1, 2014
Eli Kolp, Harris L. Friedman, Evgeny Krupitsky et al.
53 citations
Ketamine psychedelic psychotherapy (KPP) is a treatment approach that combines the dissociative anesthetic ketamine with psychotherapy. Ketamine produces a range of effects including analgesic, sedative, anxiolytic, antidepressant, and hallucinogenic properties. The paper reviews clinical applications of KPP, offers practical guidance, and examines the pharmacology and phenomenology of ketamine-induced experiences, including their potential for transpersonal healing and risks of misuse. It aims to serve as an authoritative resource for psychiatrists and others interested in understanding and applying KPP.
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies
January 1, 2007
Eli Kolp, M. Scott Young, Harris L. Friedman et al.
44 citations
Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, has antidepressant effects and can induce transformative transpersonal experiences. Although only approved as an anesthetic in the US, it is prescribed off-label for psychological problems and used similarly in Argentina, Iran, Mexico, Russia, and the UK. The literature on ketamine-enhanced psychotherapy (KEP) is reviewed, and two case studies treating death anxiety in terminally-ill people are reported. The authors emphasize the need for formal research on KEP for end-of-life death anxiety.