The Use of Ketamine to Decrease Depressive Symptoms in Adults With Major Depressive Disorder
The current research shows a connection between N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists like Ketamine and decrease depressive symptoms, although the use of Ketamine in treating Major Depressive Disorders should not be adopted without further examination.
Abstract
Background: Mental Health Conditions including Major Depressive Disorders cause many emergency department visits and hospital admissions with few acute treatment options. The use of N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist drugs such as Ketamine show promise in treatment of these patients. Method: Exhaustive search of medical literature using MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychInfo, and EBM multifiles was conducted, using search terms Ketamine, Major Depressive Disorder, N-methyl-D-aspartate Antagonist, Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonist. Articles that were not randomized control trials or were duplicates were excluded. Results: Two studies fit inclusion, exclusion criteria. The studies found were of low quality using the GRADE approach. Patients that received Ketamine when compared to placebo were found to have a decrease in depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The current research shows a connection between N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists like Ketamine and decrease depressive symptoms. Although due to the low quality of the studies the use of Ketamine in treating Major Depressive Disorders should not be adopted without further examination.