Beyond Depression

Ketamine and Glutamatergic Agents for PTSD, OCD, and Other Potential Applications

Dougherty, John W. III DO
Ettensohn, Marc F. MD
Levine, Steven P. MD

John W. Dougherty III, DO, is a Psychiatrist. Marc F. Ettensohn, MD, is a Psychiatrist. Steven P. Levine, MD, is the Chief Executive Officer, and the Founder. All authors are affiliated with Actify Neurotherapies.

Address correspondence to John W. Dougherty III, DO, Actify Neurotherapies, 937 Haverford Road, Suite 100, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010; email: [email protected].

Disclaimer: Ketamine is not indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for depressive disorders, bipolar depression, or other psychiatric disorders. Ketamine is FDA-indicated as an anesthetic and analgesic for use in certain types of surgeries/procedures.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Psychiatric Annals 48(4):p 184-188, April 01, 2018. | DOI: 10.3928/00485713-20180312-03

Ketamine and other glutamatergic drugs have been slowly gaining traction in the psychiatric realm for the treatment of multiple conditions. Although monoamine modulators remain the stalwarts of pharmacologic treatment, glutamatergic agents are becoming options for those patients with treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other disorders that have been associated with dysfunctional glutamatergic pathways. To date, medications such as ketamine, lamotrigine, memantine, and D-cycloserine, among others, have demonstrated some efficacy for PTSD and OCD, although mostly in small studies for conditions not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Other disorders, such as traumatic brain injury, autistic spectrum disorders, and eating disorders, may benefit from glutamate modulators; however, the literature on these applications is currently limited. [Psychiatr Ann. 2018;48(4):184–188.]