Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 21, 2022
Laurent Elkrief, Olivier Payette, Jean-Nicolas Foucault et al.
15 citations
A patient with bipolar treatment-resistant depression who had not responded to medication, psychotherapy, or either repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or intravenous ketamine alone achieved complete and sustained remission when rTMS and ketamine were used together. The authors discuss how the two treatments may have complementary antidepressant mechanisms and call for further research on the combination's feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy.
Journal of Affective Disorders
April 1, 2023
Olivier Payette, P. Lespérance, V. D. Jodoin et al.
7 citations
For people with treatment-resistant depression who did not benefit from transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), intravenous racemic ketamine may offer some help. In a small case series of 21 patients, a course of six ketamine infusions over two weeks was safe and produced few side effects. Average depression scores, measured by the MADRS scale, fell from 27.6 (moderate depression) to 18.6 (mild depression), a mean improvement of 34.5%. Four patients (19%) responded to treatment, and two of those (9.5%) achieved remission. The study was uncontrolled and retrospective, so results are preliminary.
BMJ Open
March 1, 2026
Christina Mcanulty, Philippe Lavoie, Samuel Cyr et al.
A new treatment combining ketamine infusions with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) may be feasible for people who have both alcohol use disorder and treatment-resistant depression. In an open-label trial at a Montreal hospital, 30 participants will receive six ketamine infusions plus eight weekly therapy sessions, either in person or online. The study primarily tests whether the combined approach is practical and acceptable by measuring completion rates, safety, and data quality. Exploratory measures will track changes in depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and quality of life. Some participants will also be interviewed about their experiences.