A longitudinal case series of IM ketamine for patients with severe and enduring eating disorders and comorbid treatment‐resistant depression
Terry Schwartz, Mary Ellen Trunko, David Feifel, Emily Lopez, Danika Peterson, Guido Frank, Walter H. Kaye
Clinical Case Reports April 4, 2021 DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.3869 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSevere and enduring eating disorders carry the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric illnesses, especially when combined with treatment-resistant depression. Four patients with both conditions received repeated ketamine treatments over 12 or more months. Depression improved, but eating disorder symptoms changed only modestly.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case series Longitudinal Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 4 |
| Population | Patients with enduring eating disorders and treatment-resistant depression |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Duration | 12+ months |
| Topics | Ketamine |
| Keywords | Depression economics Medicine Psychiatry Eating disorders |
| Citations | 52 |
| Key finding | Repeated ketamine treatment over 12+ months improved depression but produced only modest changes in eating disorder symptoms. |
Abstract
Abstract Severe and enduring eating disorders (EDs) have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric illnesses (Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2011, 68 , 724), especially when comorbid with treatment‐resistant depression (TRD) (Psychiatr Res, 2016, 244 , 45). We report on four patients with enduring EDs and TRD treated with repeat ketamine over 12 + months, showing improvement in depression with only modest changes in ED symptoms.