Ketamine Anesthesia, Efficacy of Electroconvulsive Therapy, and Cognitive Functions in Treatment-Resistant Depression
The Journal of ECT September 1, 2016 Janusz K. Rybakowski, Anna Bodnar, Milosz Krzywotulski et al. 39 citations
Adding ketamine to anesthesia during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may improve antidepressant effects for drug-resistant depression, but it also worsens verbal memory. In a study of 45 patients, those who received ketamine for five ECT sessions showed significantly lower depression scores after treatment compared with those who received only thiopental anesthesia. However, cognitive tests revealed more marked worsening in verbal memory among patients who received ketamine. The average depression score before ECT was 32 points on the Hamilton scale, and patients underwent about 11 sessions. The findings suggest ketamine can boost ECT's antidepressant efficacy but at the cost of greater memory impairment.