Ketamine as an alternative to ECT in catatonia in elderly women with bipolar disorder: A case report.
Frontiers in psychiatry January 1, 2023 Shanthi Sarma, Arulmathy Arunachalam, Memunatu Kamara et al. 6 citations
Two patients with catatonic depression in bipolar disorder who were not medically fit for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) received intravenous ketamine instead. Both patients' symptoms resolved and they returned to their baseline level of functioning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when ECT poses risks as an aerosol-generating procedure and resources are limited, ketamine therapy for catatonia may be a beneficial alternative or supportive treatment to ECT, warranting further research.