Rapid Response With Ketamine on Suicidal Cognition in Resistant Depression.

Rapid response with ketamine on suicidal cognition in resistant depression.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

Indian J Psychol Med. 2012 Apr; 34(2): 170-5
Thakurta RG, Das R, Bhattacharya AK, Saha D, Sen S, Singh OP, Bisui B

Suicidal ideation in depressed patients is a serious and emergent condition that requires urgent intervention. Intravenous ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, has shown rapid antidepressant effects, making it a potentially attractive candidate for depressed patients with suicidal risk.In India few studies have corroborated such findings; the present study aimed to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of antisuicidal effects of ketamine in subjects with resistant depression.Single-center, prospective, 4 weeks, open-label, single-arm pilot study.Twenty-seven subjects with DSM-IV major depression (treatment resistant) were recruited. The subjects were assessed on Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI), 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). After a 2-week drug-free period, subjects were given a single intravenous infusion of ketamine hydrochloride (0.5 mg/kg) and were rated at baseline and at 40, 80, 120, and 230 minutes and 1 and 2 days postinfusion.The ketamine infusion was effective in reducing the SSI and HDRS scores, the change remained significant from minute 40 to 230 at each time point.The real strength of this study rests in documenting the rapid albeit short-lasting effect of ketamine on suicidal ideation in depressed patients.
HubMed – depression

The effect of anxiety on breast cancer patients.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

Indian J Psychol Med. 2012 Apr; 34(2): 119-23
Baqutayan SM

Cancer is a disease wherein abnormal cells divide without control and are able to attack other tissues. Most of the patients and their families face some degree of depression, anxiety, and fear when cancer becomes a part of their lives. They feel helpless and eager to find ways on how to get rid of it. The study focuses on anxiety among breast cancer patients. It aims at investigating cancer, its symptoms, and effects the disease has on the anxiety level of patients.
HubMed – depression

Metabolic syndrome in bipolar disorders.

Filed under: Depression Treatment

Indian J Psychol Med. 2012 Apr; 34(2): 110-8
Grover S, Malhotra N, Chakrabarti S, Kulhara P

To review the data with respect to prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in bipolar disorder patients. Electronic searches were done in PUBMED, Google Scholar and Science direct. From 2004 to June 2011, 34 articles were found which reported on the prevalence of MetS. The sample size of these studies varied from 15 to 822 patients, and the rates of MetS vary widely from 16.7% to 67% across different studies. None of the sociodemographic variable has emerged as a consistent risk factor for MetS. Among the clinical variables longer duration of illness, bipolar disorder- I, with greater number of lifetime depressive and manic episodes, and with more severe and difficult-to-treat index affective episode, with depression at onset and during acute episodes, lower in severity of mania during the index episode, later age of onset at first manic episode, later age at first treatment for the first treatment for both phases, less healthy diet as rated by patients themselves, absence of physical activity and family history of diabetes mellitus have been reported as clinical risk factors of MetS. Data suggests that metabolic syndrome is fairly prevalent in bipolar disorder patients.
HubMed – depression

Depression Treatment without pills or medication – Electromagnetic Depression Treatment Nears Approval for Amanda Todd A new type of brain stimulation device for combating difficult-to-treat cases of major depressive disorder is likely to break into the large American market soon. Its maker, Jerusalem-based Brainsway, plans to apply to the US Food and Drug Administration for permission to market the device this month. The move follows initial results from a large-scale trial of the system, in which 30.4 percent of treated patients went into remission and 36.7 percent showed significant improvement. Research into device-based treatments for psychiatric problems has grown rapidly, and if the FDA gives its go-ahead, Brainsway’s system will become the fourth device-based therapy to go on the market since 2005. The 30.4 percent remission rate Brainsway is claiming may not seem like much, especially when 14.5 percent of patients who underwent a sham procedure also recovered, but in the context of antidepressants it is quite good, according to experts. spectrum.ieee.org Verilux VT05FWW1 HappyLight 6000 www.amazon.com Uplift Technologies DL930 Day-Light 10000 Lux SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) Lamp www.amazon.com NatureBright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy Lamp Rank #151 www.amazon.com Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device www.amazon.com Natrol 5-HTP Mood Enhancer, 150 Tablets www.amazon.com

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