Electroconvulsive therapy versus intravenous ketamine

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the gold standard treatment for resistant depression, but results of a new randomized, head-to-head trial suggest intravenous ketamine is at least as effective and has fewer side effects.

 

ECT is not a first-line treatment for depression. The first line of treatment for depression is the use of antidepressant medications. Antidepressant medications can be prescribed by your healthcare provider. There are many different types of antidepressant medications. However, typically the first line remains selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (SSRIs).

 

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment option that can provide rapid, significant improvements in severe symptoms of several mental health conditions. ECT is used to treat: severe depression, treatment-resistant depression, severe mania, and catatonia.

 

ECT requires anesthesia and uses padded electrodes on either side of your temples. Brief electrical pulses are then delivered through those padded electrodes. Although ECT is effective and fast-acting, it can be socially stigmatizing and is associated with memory problems following treatment.

 

"The take-home message right now is that if somebody is being referred for ECT, the treating clinician should think of offering ketamine first," study investigator Amit Anand, MD, professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, told Medscape Medical News.

 

Ketamine has been shown to have rapid antidepressant effects and does not cause memory loss or carry the stigma associated with ECT. Ketamine treatment has fewer risks compared to ECT and requires less downtime. This coupled with the results of the randomized, head-to-head trial makes intravenous ketamine a treatment contender for those previously referred for ECT.

 

Wondering if Ketamine therapy is right for you? Contact us today to set up a consultation at one of our Wisconsin locations.