Effects of ketamine in patients with treatment-refractory generalized anxiety and social anxiety disorders: Exploratory double-blind psychoactive-controlled replication study
Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2020 P. Glue, Shona Neehoff, A. Sabadel et al. 97 citations
In a double-blind, psychoactive-controlled study, 12 patients with treatment-resistant generalized anxiety and social anxiety disorders who were not currently depressed received ascending doses of ketamine (0.25, 0.5, 1 mg/kg) at weekly intervals, with midazolam 0.01 mg/kg randomly inserted as a control. Improvements in anxiety ratings occurred within an hour of ketamine dosing and persisted for up to one week. A dose-response profile was noted for anxiolytic effects, dissociative side effects, and changes in blood pressure and heart rate. Midazolam had minor brief effects on anxiety ratings. Ketamine was safe and well tolerated. Ketamine may be a potential therapeutic option for these patients.