Five Things to Know About Esketamine
In March 2019, intranasal esketamine—a form of ketamine marketed as SPRAVATO™ CIII Nasal Spray*—was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). James Murrough, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai’s Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, was deeply involved in the research that led to esketamine’s FDA approval. In November 2019, he launched a TRD Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, featuring esketamine as a treatment option. Below, Dr. Murrough breaks down the top five things to know about esketamine based on his experience over the past decade.
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4 Things We Now Know About Treatment-Resistant Depression
For many people coping with major depressive disorder—which includes different types of depression that persist for at least two weeks—antidepressants can play an invaluable role in helping relieve symptoms, enabling them to resume the life they once enjoyed. But for those who experience a form known as treatment-resistant depression (TRD), standard medications tend to provide little to no relief.
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Ketamine Therapy Essential Service During COVID-19 Pandemic
It goes without saying that COVID-19 is on the minds of nearly every American. The societal and economic disruption is almost without precedent. As government officials and clinicians wrestle with issues of how to protect the public, there seem to be more questions than answers. The mental health effects of COVID-19 are as important to address as are the physical health effects. Social isolation, school closures, lack of structure, financial difficulties, and unemployment are among the many stressors related to COVID-19 that have significant impacts on mental well-being.
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COVID-19 What We’re Doing to Help Our Patients During This Time
As the concern for the coronavirus continues to grow, we want to do our part to inform our patients on what we are doing to help keep you safe and provide continued treatment options during this time.
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What Causes Depression?
Over the course of the past 100 years, our understanding of depression has greatly expanded, as has the number of therapeutic options available to deal with it. One thing researchers have learned in the past century is that, in the vast majority of cases, there is no one single cause for depression. Instead, an array of risk factors typically play into the development of a person’s depressive mood. And those risk factors are often different from person to person. Below we’re going to take a close look at what causes depression and what can be done about it. (more…)
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What Causes Anxiety?
Everyone experiences some degree of anxiety from time to time. It’s coded into our DNA as part of the ‘fight or flight’ self-defense mechanism. In that context, anxiety produces a heightened state of awareness to potential threats and is a precursor to either standing and defending oneself (fight) or fleeing (flight). But for some people that heightened state of awareness can morph into an almost constant state of worry. Or an exaggerated sense of dread when faced with even the most mundane of threats or conditions. But what causes anxiety? (more…)
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Ketamine May Treat Harmful Drinking Behavior by Rewriting Drinking Memories
A single dose of ketamine may be able to curb harmful drinking behavior by “rewriting drinking memories,” according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.
The researchers say that, when coupled with an exercise involving beer that pulls memories of alcohol to the foreground, there’s evidence that the drug can disrupt how the brain associates these cues — like the smell or taste of beer — to its perceived “reward,” making relapse less likely.
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The Complete Guide to Ketamine Therapy for Depression, From Someone Who’s Tried It
When I entered the ketamine clinic for the first time, I started crying almost immediately. This was for two reasons: First and foremost, I was scared. After watching a documentary that introduced me to the subject and reading several accounts of ketamine infusion therapy, I knew a fair amount about the process. But the experience sounded strange, disorienting, and mysterious. Despite having done my research, I still didn’t feel like I had a good idea of exactly what it would feel like.
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