420 - Ketamine treatment in geriatric depression
International Psychogeriatrics October 1, 2021 J. Leal, M. Lapid, S. Kung
Ketamine, particularly intranasal esketamine, is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression, but evidence in older adults remains scarce. Two cases of older individuals with treatment-resistant depression treated with intranasal ketamine are described: one improved, one did not. The scarce available literature suggests ketamine is well tolerated and effective in the geriatric population, with remission rates of 46.5%, 57%, and 69.5% reported in three separate studies. The presentation reviews ketamine's mechanism of action as a novel antidepressant, the mixed evidence for its role in late-life treatment-resistant depression, and practical aspects of running a ketamine clinic.