title: Ketamine for Treatment of Suicidal Ideation and Reduction of Risk for Suicidal Behavior.
abstract: Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist with efficacy as a rapid anti-depressant, has early evidence for action to reduce suicidal ideation. This review will explore several important questions that arise from these studies. First, how do we measure reductions in suicidal ideation that occur over minutes to hours? Second, are the reductions in suicidal ideation after ketamine treatment solely a result of its rapid anti-depressant effect? Third, is ketamine only effective in reducing suicidal ideation in patients with mood disorders? Fourth, could ketamine's action lead us to a greater understanding of the neurobiology of suicidal processes? Last, do the reductions in depression and suicidal ideation after ketamine treatment translate into decreased risk for suicidal behavior? Our review concludes that ketamine treatment can be seen as a double-edged sword, clinically to help provide treatment for acutely suicidal patients and experimentally to explore the neurobiological nature of suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Faryal
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mallick
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA. cheryl.mccullumsmith@uc.edu.
authors.forename: Cheryl B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: McCullumsmith
mesh_terms: D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
chemical_list: D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D007649:Ketamine
keywords: Depression; Ketamine; Mood disorders; RDoC domains; Suicidal Ideation; Suicidal Ideation Assessment Scales; Suicidal attempt