Depression is the leading cause of disability in the world. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious public health problem and one of the most common psychiatric disorders with suicide the 10th major cause of death.
Approximately 50% of individuals diagnosed with MDD do not respond adequately to first–line treatment with conventional antidepressants. Up to 30% of the patients suffering from depression meet criteria for treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
Ketamine is a promising novel treatment for TRD. In the last decades, an important role of glutamate in mood modulation has been hypothesized and ketamine, a non noncompetitive antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, has been demonstrated to be rapidly effective in both MDD and TRD.
The scientific evidence for the efficacy of ketamine will be discussed, as well as potential risks and issues related to its clinical use.
Om foreleseren
Dr. Lowan H. Stewart, MD, FACEP, FAAEM is a specialist Emergency Physician, Fellow of the American Academy and American College of Emergency Medicine practicing since 2003 in the US and in Norway.
He is trained at the University of New Mexico School of medicine, the University of Texas at Austin and Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. He is the founder and medical director of the Santa Fe Ketamine Clinic, the first ketamine treatment center in New Mexico, and AxonKlinikken in Oslo, the first ketamine treatment center in Scandinavia.
His past research includes studies on the evolution of emotions, psychoneuroimmunology and seasonal depression. His current research interests include using novel rapidly acting medications in the treatment of mood disorders and addiction, serving as a medical research advisor for the center for innovative treatments PsykForsk at Sykehus Østfold, DPS Moss.
Dr. Stewart currently is working on several international multi-site clinical trials on the treatment of depression and PTSD. He is a member of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians.
Om Fredagsmøtet
Fredagsmøtet er en møteserie som arrangeres av Klinikk psykisk helse og avhengighet (PHA) med erfarne forelesere. Møteserien er åpen for alle og rettet mot leger, psykologer og andre behandlere. Mat og drikke er tillatt.
Har du spørsmål knyttet til seminaret, kan du kontakte førstekonsulent Bente Irene Hafstad Vasbotten.