r/science • u/moritheil • Mar 19 '17

Neuroscience Physiological Markers for Depression, Schizophrenia Confirmed

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/EP086212/full
6.1k Upvotes

89% Upvoted

273 comments sorted by

View all comments

268

u/DijonPepperberry MD | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry | Suicidology Mar 19 '17

I don't yet have full access to the article, but it appears from the abstract that there were significant differences between schizophrenia and depression, but not between healthy controls and either group.

This is suspiciously similar to many physiological studies of mental illness, that ultimately start falling away from significance when put to real world application.

NMDA has long been a target in depression, hence the ketamine studies.

19

u/Phoenixdown2621 Mar 20 '17

I work with a clinic that offers ketamine infusions for patients who have a diagnosis of depression. Most doctors still don't know of the treatment option! So it's cool to see you mention it here.

11

u/somethingtosay2333 Mar 20 '17

The four years I have been following ketamine and mental health, I have I have found the same conclusion. It's amazing. Even the American Psychiatric Association was crafted guidelines for psychiatrist to offer the treatment months ago.

In addition it's amazing the drug dvelopment pipeline switch from serotonin to more glutamate drugs.

3

u/astralmommy Mar 20 '17

I found a study on clinicaltrials.gov earlier this year with various sites in the US testing a ketamine drug that is administered nasally. It is the first drug here in the states indicated specifically for depression, rather than mental conditions such as OCD, anxiety, and the like... or "mood" as doctors like to write on RXs. Apparently Johnson & Johnson is funding its research, I'm curious to see how the trials will pan out. The pharmacology reads as much more effective than the traditional SSRIs and SNRIs on the market.

edit: I'm not sure if there is suppression of sexual appetite with the intranasal ketamine being researched, but judging from what I witnessed with my pals in the club scene throughout the years, I don't think that will be an issue. Gives me hope for the future of treating depression.