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Science

Ketamine: a new antidepressant?

April 3, 2014

It's known as a horse tranquilizer and a dangerous "party drug." But scientists have now discovered that the painkiller ketamine could help people with "treatment-resistant" depression. DW speaks to principle investigator Dr Rupert McShane, a consultant psychiatrist at Oxford Health and researcher at Oxford University.

https://p.dw.com/p/1BbTd

Interview: Zulfikar Abbany

This is the first UK study of ketamine in this way. Patients suffering from "treatment-resistant" depression received intravenous infusions under controlled conditions. The team has treated 45 patients - of whom, nine patients benefitted "to the point where it was thought worthwhile to have further intermittent ketamine treatments."