Pubdate: Fri, 03 Dec 2010
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Author: Paul Latimer
Note: Paul Latimer is a psychiatrist and president of Okanagan Clinical Trials.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?158 (Club Drugs)

KETAMINE POSSIBLE NEW TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION

Every once in a while a new treatment comes into the research 
pipeline that has exciting possibilities to really change the way we 
can deal with a particular disorder.

Sometimes it's a medication with a totally different mechanism or 
that affects the body in a different way or is vastly more effective 
than anything used before.

When we're not simply tweaking an existing strategy, medical research 
is truly at its most fascinating.

Right now a new antidepressant is being researched in Canada and the 
U.S. that has the potential to be such a boon to the treatment of 
this chronic condition.

Doctors at Yale University discovered that small doses of ketamine 
can have remarkably good results in treating depression and can have 
several positive effects not possible with any other current antidepressants.

Ketamine is a fast acting liquid anaesthetic used primarily by 
veterinarians but also in humans as it does not depress breathing 
like some other anaesthetics.

This drug also has some notoriety in powder form as an illegal club 
drug known as special k or vitamin k""in this form it is often 
snorted or stirred into drinks and causes hallucinations and 
sensations of floating outside of one's body.

In much smaller does, ketamine can significantly reduce symptoms of 
depression within 40 minutes in even treatment resistant cases and 
lasts for seven to 10 days.

Current antidepressants take two to three weeks to begin their effect 
so a fast-acting option is a really exciting development.

For example, this would be incredibly helpful in hospital situations 
with patients who are acutely suicidal.

Early research has also found that a dose of ketamine works to 
increase connections between brain cells.

The drug also repaired connections between neurons damaged by chronic stress.

Since neurons can atrophy and shrink in response to chronic stress, 
it is interesting to learn there may be a way to reverse the effects 
this has on the brain.

In a recent small study of ketamine used in patients with bipolar 
depression, 71 per cent of participants responded to ketamine 
compared to only six per cent response to a placebo.

While these initial findings are promising, there is much research 
yet to be done before ketamine becomes a standard in the treatment of 
depression.

Larger scale studies will have to be done to confirm its safety and 
effectiveness.

Another goal of research will be to find a compound similar to 
ketamine in its positive effects and rapid onset, but without the 
potential for abuse.

The team at Yale is currently testing several such compounds. In the 
meantime, research and small-scale use of ketamine continue.

Although ketamine is not currently being tested at Okanagan Clinical 
Trials, we do have several ongoing studies examining investigational 
medications to possibly treat depression.

If you are an adult experiencing depression, you may be eligible to 
participate. Contact us at 250 862-8141 for more information.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom