Tag: ketamine

Reading of the Week: Cannabinoids for Therapeutic Use – the New JAMA Paper; Also, ECT and Szalavitz on Her Recovery & Substance Use

December 4, 2025 /

From the Editor

Cannabis for chronic pain? What about insomnia or seizures? Patients often ask about the therapeutic use of cannabis. And your patients aren’t the only ones thinking about it; more than one in four Americans have used cannabis for medicinal purposes. But what does the literature actually say?

In an impressive, new review paper just published in JAMA, Dr. Michael Hsu (of the University of California, Los Angeles) and his co-authors seek to answer that question. With 124 citations, they are thorough and thoughtful, drawing on studies, clinical guidelines, and more. They are also clear in their conclusion. “Despite the accumulation of new studies, evidence is insufficient for the use of cannabis or cannabinoids for most medical conditions.” We consider the paper and its implications.

In the second selection from The Lancet Psychiatry, Dr. Richard Braithwaite (of the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) and his co-authors comment on ketamine for depression. Though some new studies have reported solid results comparable to ECT, they remain skeptical. “The claim that ketamine is equivalent to ECT is not supported by credible evidence. It is a narrative constructed on a foundation of a small number of inadequately designed trials and flawed meta-analyses.”

Is sobriety required for recovery from substance misuse? In a personal essay for The New York Times, writer Maia Szalavitz argues that it isn’t. She notes her own journey which has spanned 40 years. “In reality, most people who resolve addictions – including me – do not reject all substance use forever.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Novel Depression Care – the New JAMA Psychiatry Study; Also, Psych Beds in the US and ChatGPT & Sensitive Conversations

November 6, 2025 /

From the Editor

He had several antidepressant trials. rTMS was helpful but the improvement faded quickly. Should he try ketamine? My patient had read good things and asked.

In a new paper for JAMA Psychiatry, Ana Jelovac (of Trinity College Dublin) and her co-authors attempt to answer that question. 62 hospitalized patients with depression were randomly assigned to receive either repeated ketamine or midazolam treatment and were followed for 24 weeks afterwards. “Serial adjunctive ketamine infusions were not more effective than serial midazolam infusions in reducing depressive symptoms in inpatients receiving usual psychiatric care.” We consider the paper and its implications.

How has the supply of US psychiatric beds changed with time? In the second selection, from JAMA Psychiatry, Karen Shen (of Johns Hopkins University) and her co-authors drew on US databases, finding a slight reduction in overall beds but perhaps an increase in acute care supply, albeit with an increase in beds from large for-profit hospital chains. “Given reports of safety concerns at large for-profit chains, our findings also underscore the need for research on the effects of growing corporatization of inpatient mental health care on patient outcomes.”

And in the third selection, published on their website, ChatGPT staff write about recent controversies involving those with mental health problems, suggesting that the organization has been moved to action. The essay describes their efforts to make advice safer and more appropriate for users who are psychotic, suicidal, or becoming emotionally reliant on AI. “We worked with more than 170 mental health experts to help ChatGPT more reliably recognize signs of distress, respond with care, and guide people toward real-world support – reducing responses that fall short of our desired behavior by 65-80%.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Health Care Workers & Suicide – the new JAMA Paper; Also, Esketamine vs Quetiapine for Treatment-Resistant Depression (NEJM)

October 12, 2023 /

From the Editor

Sure, we are biased – but ours is a different type of job. Working in health care can involve life and death situations and trying to help those who are at their most vulnerable. The stakes can be high. 

But how does such work affect the workers themselves? Dr. Mark Olfson (of Columbia University) and his co-authors try to answer that question in a new paper for JAMA. In it, they analyze suicides among six different types of health care workers, including physicians, by drawing on a US data that offers a nationally representative sample from 2008 to 2019, including 1.84 million people. “Relative to non-health care workers, registered nurses, health technicians, and health care support workers in the US were at increased risk of suicide.” We consider the paper and its implications.

And in the other selection, Dr. Andreas Reif (of the University Hospital Frankfurt) and his co-authors focus on treatment-resistant depression. In this new paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine, they report on the findings from a study where 676 patients were randomized to either esketamine nasal spray or an antipsychotic augmenting agent in addition to an antidepressant. “In patients with treatment-resistant depression, esketamine nasal spray plus an SSRI or SNRI was superior to extended-release quetiapine plus an SSRI or SNRI with respect to remission at week 8.” We also look at the accompanying editorial.

DG

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Reading of the Week: tDCS vs Sham for Depression – the New Lancet Paper; Also, US Ketamine Seizures and Dr. Lamas on Medical Practice & AI

July 13, 2023 /

From the Editor

He’s tried several medications, but still struggles with his depression. The story is too familiar. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is an option, and increasingly the focus of research. With relatively few side effects and the possibility of doing the treatment at home, the advantages of tDCS are clear.

But how do patients taking antidepressants respond? In the first selection, from the pages of The Lancet, Dr. Gerrit Burkhardt (of the University of Munich) and his co-authors report the findings of an impressive study, with a comparison against sham treatment, across eight sites, and involving triple blinding. “Active tDCS was not superior to sham stimulation during a 6-week period. Our trial does not support the efficacy of tDCS as an additional treatment to SSRIs in adults with MDD.” We consider the paper, an accompanying Comment, and the implications.

In the second selection, Joseph J. Palamar (of New York University) and his colleagues analyze data on US ketamine seizures in a Research Letter for JAMA Psychiatry. They view seizures as a measure of recreational and nonmedical use, and conclude: “These data suggest increasing availability of illicit ketamine.”

And in this week’s third selection, Dr. Daniela J. Lamas (of Harvard University), an internist, writes about AI for The New York Times. In thinking about medical practice, she sees artificial intelligence doing more and more, and ultimately helping with diagnosis. She also sees trade-offs. Still, she concludes: “Beyond saving us time, the intelligence in A.I. – if used well – could make us better at our jobs.”

Note that there will be no Reading next week.

DG

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Reading of the Week: Ketamine vs. ECT – the New NEJM Paper; Also, Burnout & Depression (QT) and Rehab for Schizophrenia (Wash Post)

June 1, 2023 /

From the Editor

“Ketamine Shows Promise for Hard-to-Treat Depression in New Study”

 – The New York Times

The gold standard for treatment-refractory depression has been ECT. Last week, The New England Journal of Medicine published a new study by Dr. Amit Anand (of Harvard University) and his co-authors comparing ketamine with ECT. They did a noninferiority trial, with more than 400 people. The results have been widely reported, including in The New York Times. They write: “This randomized trial evaluating the comparative effectiveness of ketamine and ECT in patients with treatment-resistant depression without psychosis showed noninferiority of ketamine to ECT…” We discuss the paper and the accompanying Editorial.

A recent Canadian Medical Association survey found that the majority of physicians reported experiencing high levels of burnout. In the second selection, Dr. Srijan Sen (of the University of Michigan) discusses this timely topic in a new Quick Takes podcast. He talks about the definition(s) of burnout, and the overlap with depression. “Burnout has become a loose term that means different things to different people.”

And in the third selection, Dr. Thomas Insel (of the Steinberg Institute) and his co-authors discuss the life and death of New Yorker Jordan Neely. In an essay for The Washington Post, they argue for better care, in particular with a focus on rehabilitation services for those with schizophrenia. “People with other brain disorders are not abandoned to become homeless or incarcerated rather than receive medical help.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: A Century After Osler, Is He Relevant (NEJM)? Also, AI & Diagnosis (CMAJ) and Ketamine & Safety (JAD)

December 12, 2019 /

From the Editor

A century after his death, is Dr. Osler still relevant?

This week, there are three selections. First, we start with a look back with an essay on Dr. William Osler. We then look forward: with papers on AI and ketamine.

In the first selection, Drs. Charles S. Bryan (the University of South Carolina) and Scott H. Podolsky (Harvard University) write in The New England Journal of Medicine about Dr. Osler on the 100th anniversary of his death. Contemplating his life and views, they note that he “gave physicians what certain national historians gave their countries: warm feelings of togetherness, pride, and purpose.”

nlc012022-v6William Osler

In the second selection, we look at a CMAJ paper. Considering AI and health care, University of Strasbourg’s Dr. Thierry Pelaccia and his co-authors write about the reasoning of mind and machine. They see a bright future: “AI can assume its place as a routine tool in medical practice.”

Finally, for the third selection, we consider a new paper on ketamine and safety from the Journal of Affective Disorders. Drawing on several studies, NIMH’s Elia E. Acevedo-Diaz and her co-authors conclude: “The results indicate that a single intravenous subanesthetic-dose ketamine infusion was relatively safe for the treatment of [treatment-resistant depression].”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Cutting-Edge Care – Esketamine for Depression (NEJM), Digital Psychiatry for Suicide Prevention (JAMA Psych), Asylums for All (AJP)

July 18, 2019 /

From the Editor

This time of year, many doctors take to social media to offer advice to young colleagues as they start their specialty training (#TipsForNewDocs). Generally, the tweets give solid suggestions on everything from the importance of mentorship to doing regular exercise. For those new grads beginning psychiatry training, I offer: read more, the field is evolving. Since I started my psychiatry residency 19 years ago this month, we have seen new antidepressants placed into the drug cabinets of our patients, mental-health apps populate their smart phones, and clinical guidelines enter our practices, helping us better manage their mental illness.

This week’s Reading focuses on cutting-edge care, and there is plenty to read.

In our first selection, we consider a new paper from The New England Journal of Medicine. Written by Dr. Jean Kim and four other FDA officials, the authors discuss esketamine for depression. “The drug represents an important addition to the treatment options for patients with treatment-resistant depression.”

nasal-spray-sEsketamine: from club drug to depression care

In our second selection, Dr. John Torous (of Harvard Medical School) and Rheeda Walker (of the University of Houston) consider digital psychiatry and suicide prevention, reviewing the field with cautious optimism. The paper opens with a single sentence that puts these efforts in perspective: “Because the rates of suicide attempts and deaths have recently increased to 50-year highs,new solutions are needed.”

And, in our third selection, we look at a not-so-new editorial from The American Journal of Insanity that calls for better treatment of the poor.

Enjoy.

DG

 

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Reading of the Week: A Statin a Day Keeps the Doctor Away? The New Hayes et al. JAMA Psych Paper

January 31, 2019 /

From the Editor

Statins can help prevent MIs in people with high cholesterol. Can they also prevent psychiatric admissions for those with schizophrenia?

The question may seem odd, but there is evidence that statins can reduce symptoms in people with schizophrenia – though the evidence is light. That may not be as surprising as it seems: statins are anti-inflammatories, and a growing literature suggests neuro-inflammation is involved in major mental illness.

So should our patients receive medications like statins? The concept of repurposing common medications has gained attention.

This week, we look at a paper just published in JAMA Psychiatry. In their study, University College London’s Joseph F. Hayes and his co-authors consider the effect of statins, calcium channel blockers, and biguanides (such as metformin). Spoiler alert: they find that these medications reduce psychiatric hospital admissions and self-harm in people with serious mental illness.

statins-understandingthehypeStatins for schizophrenia?

In this Reading, we review the new paper about the not-so-new meds. We also take a quick look at another paper (on ketamine).

DG

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Reading of the Week: Suicidal? Get a Postcard. The New JCP Paper on Suicide Prevention. Also, Ketamine & Inpatients

November 8, 2018 /

From the Editor

Can we do better at suicide prevention?

In recent years, several studies have tried brief contact interventions – that is, interventions aimed at maintaining a post-discharge connection – reporting success. These interventions have been relatively simple, such as handwritten postcards or phone calls for people post-attempt.

In this week’s selection, we look at a new paper from The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Involving 23 emergency departments and crisis centres in France, the authors pulled together different interventions, coming up with an algorithm offering patients care informed by the best evidence. So some patients received calls, but others were given crisis cards.

It’s an ambitious project. Did it work? The results weren’t statistically significant.

p1110389Postcards: colourful and pretty – and life-saving?

We consider this paper, the negative result, and ask: what does this say about suicide prevention? And then, looking at the evolving literature on suicide, we briefly consider a paper written by Sunnybook’s Mark Sinyor that uses IV ketamine for suicidal thoughts.

Please note: there will be no Reading next week.

DG
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