Ketamine may be a potent analgesic, but its effects on chronic pain may have more to do with its antidepressant effects, according to a recent study fperrywilson comments.
. The causality can be hard to untangle and probably goes in both directions: Depression makes pain feel worse, and chronic pain leads to more depression.
Several studies have shown that ketamine may be effective for treating depression in those with chronic pain. But what about the reverse? Can ketamine be used —Researchers from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in France, led by Gisèle Pickering, tried to untangle the complex knot.they report on 329 patients receiving repeated ketamine infusions for the treatment of chronic pain across 30 French pain clinics.
Depression scores improved as well, as expected, given prior studies. There were 123 individuals who met criteria for clinical depression at the start of the study and 94 by month 12. That's not nothing.The authors wanted to knowchronic pain scores decreased. After all, the half-life of ketamine is about 2.5 hours. Even with frequent infusions, its direct anesthetic effect doesn't really explain pain control.
And there was a big mediator. Honestly, I've done some mediation analyses, and this is really a massive mediator. Fully 64% of the observed effect was mediated by depression. In other words, thethat ketamine helps chronic pain is not through analgesia but through its antidepressant effect.The authors also investigated whether the cumulative dose of ketamine helped with pain control. It didn't.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
No more shocks? Study shows drug treatment for major depression just as effective as electroconvulsive therapyPrevious studies have suggested that low doses of ketamine may have rapid antidepressant effects for people with Major Depressive Disorder, but few have compared it to other treatments.
Read more »
Slideshow: Tips for Living Well With DepressionThe right exercise, diet, and activities -- even playing with a pet -- can help you recover from depression. Watch this WebMD slideshow to see simple things you can do to improve your mood.
Read more »
Summer Walker Opens Up on Postpartum Depression and Single ParentingThe singer-songwriter joined Yung Miami on ‘Caresha Please’
Read more »
Monaleo Survived Pregnancy, Depression, and Her Debut LP -- All At OnceMonaleo talks to us about how her first project, 'Where the Flowers Don’t Die,' is a testament to her growth from troubled child to budding star.
Read more »
Vitamin D Supplementation May Reduce Childhood Depression, Anxiety, and Psychiatric SymptomsEarly childhood intake of a higher than recommended dose of vitamin D3 may reduce psychiatric symptoms in later childhood, according to a Finnish study. Children receiving triple the standard dose of vitamin D displayed fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and withdrawn behavior than those on the
Read more »
Compass shares jump as study shows psychedelic-based drug improved depression in cancer patientsCompass shares rose 3% after the London-based mental-health care group reported in a follow-up study that its COMP360 psilocybin treatment, alongside...
Read more »