Ketamine’s Antidepressant Efficacy is Extended for at Least Four Weeks in Subjects with a Family History of an Alcohol Use Disorder
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology December 19, 2014 Mark J. Niciu, David A. Luckenbaugh, Dawn F. Ionescu et al. 55 citations
A single low-dose infusion of the anesthetic ketamine produces rapid antidepressant effects in people with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. In this trial, depressed individuals with a family history of alcohol use disorder showed a longer-lasting antidepressant response to ketamine compared to those without such a family history. Adding the drug riluzole did not extend or enhance ketamine's antidepressant durability. The findings suggest that family history of alcohol use disorder may predict a more durable ketamine response, which should be accounted for in future ketamine depression studies.