Scientist New nasal spray against depression and suicidal thoughts?

Can protect nasal spray with ketamine from depression?

More and more people are suffering from mental illness. Here, doctors have been looking for years for efficient means to help those affected. Researchers have now discovered that nasal spray with ketamine helps in severe mental illness to control depression and suicidal thoughts.

Researchers from the internationally acclaimed Yale University found in their recent research that people with severe mental illness should take nasal spray with ketamine to better manage seizures and depression. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Journal of Psychology".

Can a nasal spray containing ketamine really protect mentally ill people from depression and suicidal thoughts? (Image: arborpulchra / fotolia.com)

What is esketamine?

Nasal spray with ketamine could close the time gap that arises because conventional antidepressants take weeks to become fully effective. Esketamine, part of the mind-altering ketamine molecule, has even been described as a breakthrough therapy by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as previous studies have already shown to be beneficial in patients at increased risk for suicide.

Subjects were divided into two groups

For the study, 68 patients at risk of suicide who were also treated with conventional antidepressants were treated either with esketamine or a placebo nasal spray twice a week for four weeks. Physicians noted that four and 24 hours after ingestion, significant improvements in the ketamine group were observed when compared to placebo-taking participants. At the third measurement after 25 days, however, ketamine-based treatment with antidepressants was no longer effective, the researchers say.

Abuse epidemic must be prevented

Current antidepressant treatments currently take four to six weeks to become fully effective. The new drug could serve as a bridge to this, but it still needs to go through a Phase 3 study with a much larger population before it can be licensed, the study authors say. The biggest hurdle, however, would be to minimize the risks of damage and abuse. The drug should be available to sufferers with depression and other mental health problems, but should not lead to an epidemic of abuse, say the experts.

What is ketamine?

Ketamine has been known since the 1960s and was first used as an anesthetic before it became popular because of its psychotropic effects that alter the users' self-perception. Ketamine has both physical and mental health risks and can trigger some form of psychosis. However, there are several smaller studies that have already shown that ketamine can be very helpful in the most vulnerable patients.

Experts need to protect the population

Doctors are required to give their patients the best possible treatment. However, protecting public health is also of the utmost importance and physicians must ensure that there is no epidemic of ketamine abuse. (As)