Dr. Zarate and colleagues gave a single dose of ketamine to 36 treatment-resistant patients with bipolar disorder. The drug, experimental in this application, worked remarkably well, reducing anhedonia —feelings of apathy and inability to enjoy oneself—within 40 minutes. The effect lasted up to two weeks and did not correlate with the status of other depressive symptoms. There is no approved treatment for anhedonia, which is also common in schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, drug addiction and mood and anxiety disorders. Learn more about this study.

Journal: Translational Psychiatry, October 14, 2014

Additional info about the benefit of Ketamine on mental illness can be found in these articles:

• Dr. Carlos Zarate Carries the Torch toward FDA Approval of Rapid-Acting Antidepressant
• Los Angeles Times Features Foundation-Supported Depression Treatments that Offer “Bright Hope”
• Developing Antidepressants That Go Beyond the “Serotonin Theory”