1
|
Chaves TV, Wilffert B, Sanchez ZM. Overdoses and deaths related to the use of ketamine and its analogues: a systematic review. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2022; 49:141-150. [PMID: 36410032 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2022.2132506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background: Although the misuse of ketamine constitutes a worldwide issue, ketamine is quickly taking its place as a therapeutic option in the management of several mental disorders. However, the use of ketamine and/or its analogues, as well as combinations with other drugs, can be fatal.Objective: To outline the cases of overdoses and deaths related to the use of ketamine and/or its analogues, as reported in the scientific literature. To investigate if ketamine is safe in a therapeutic context, particularly in its use as an antidepressant.Methods: Electronic searches were performed on three medical databases. Articles describing cases of overdose and/or death associated with ketamine and/or its analogues were included. After the removal of duplicates, title analysis and full-text analysis, 34 articles were included in this review.Results: Eighteen articles described fatal cases and sixteen described overdoses. Poly-substance use was mentioned in 53% of the selected articles. Most cases were males and the ages varied from two to 65 years old. A total of 312 overdose cases and 138 deaths were reported. In both death reports and overdose cases, ketamine was preponderant: 89.1% and 79%, respectively. No cases of overdose or death related to the use of ketamine as an antidepressant in a therapeutic setting were found; most of the deaths occurred in the circumstances of polydrug use and overdoses left no sequelae.Conclusion: There is legitimate concern about the risks involving the use of ketamine and its analogues, especially in recreational settings. On the other hand, ketamine as medicine is considered safe and it is listed as an essential medicine by the World Health Organization. Although clinicians must remain vigilant, this should not deter appropriate prescription.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Bob Wilffert
- Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmacotherapy, Epidemiology and Economics, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Zila M. Sanchez
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen J, Zhang M, Zhou C, Ding Y, Fan N, He H. Association Analysis of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase 1 Gene Polymorphism With Psychopathological Symptoms in Chronic Ketamine Users. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:580771. [PMID: 33424660 PMCID: PMC7785720 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.580771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: We previously found that chronic ketamine usages were associated with various psychotic and cognitive symptoms mimicking schizophrenia. The blockade of the NMDA receptor and subsequent nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) dysfunction were found to be closely correlated with schizophrenia including NOS1 gene polymorphisms. We examined the allelic variants of the gene coding neuronal nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) in chronic ketamine users in the Chinese population and analyzed the association between NOS1 gene polymorphism and psychopathological symptoms in chronic ketamine users. The association between the NOS1 polymorphism and ketamine use characteristics was also examined. Methods: One hundred ninety seven male chronic ketamine users and 82 controls were recruited. Four common SNPs of the NOS1 gene, rs6490121, rs41279104, rs3782206, and rs3782219, were examined by real-time PCR with the TaqMan® assay system. Psychopathological symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results: The genotype distribution of rs6490121 and rs41279104 in chronic ketamine users was significantly different from that in the control (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.002). The G allele frequency of rs6490121 in ketamine users was higher than that in the control (p = 2.23 * 10-6, OR = 3.07, 95% CI = 1.93-4.90). The T allele frequency of rs41279104 in chronic ketamine users was higher than that in the control (p = 0.01, OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.14-2.72). The BAI score was significantly different among the three genotypic groups of rs6490121 (F = 6.21, p = 0.002) in ketamine users; subjects of genotype AG and GG had a lower score than subjects of genotype AA. The score of the negative symptom subscale of PANSS was significantly different among the three genotypic groups of rs41279104 (F = 5.39, p = 0.005); in ketamine users, subjects of genotype CT and TT had a higher score than subjects of genotype CC. There was no difference in drug use characteristics in different genotypes of the four NOS1 gene polymorphisms tested in ketamine users (p > 0.05).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiansong Chen
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, School of Mental Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Minling Zhang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, School of Mental Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chao Zhou
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, School of Mental Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Ding
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, School of Mental Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ni Fan
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, School of Mental Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongbo He
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, School of Mental Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Williams NR, Heifets BD, Blasey C, Sudheimer K, Pannu J, Pankow H, Hawkins J, Birnbaum J, Lyons DM, Rodriguez CI, Schatzberg AF. Attenuation of Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine by Opioid Receptor Antagonism. Am J Psychiatry 2018; 175:1205-1215. [PMID: 30153752 PMCID: PMC6395554 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.18020138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 292] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In addition to N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonism, ketamine produces opioid system activation. The objective of this study was to determine whether opioid receptor antagonism prior to administration of intravenous ketamine attenuates its acute antidepressant or dissociative effects. METHOD In a proposed double-blind crossover study of 30 adults with treatment-resistant depression, the authors performed a planned interim analysis after studying 14 participants, 12 of whom completed both conditions in randomized order: placebo or 50 mg of naltrexone preceding intravenous infusion of 0.5 mg/kg of ketamine. Response was defined as a reduction ≥50% in score on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) score on postinfusion day 1. RESULTS In the interim analysis, seven of 12 adults with treatment-resistant depression met the response criterion during the ketamine plus placebo condition. Reductions in 6-item and 17-item HAM-D scores among participants in the ketamine plus naltrexone condition were significantly lower than those of participants in the ketamine plus placebo condition on postinfusion days 1 and 3. Secondary analysis of all participants who completed the placebo and naltrexone conditions, regardless of the robustness of response to ketamine, showed similar results. There were no differences in ketamine-induced dissociation between conditions. Because naltrexone dramatically blocked the antidepressant but not the dissociative effects of ketamine, the trial was halted at the interim analysis. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that ketamine's acute antidepressant effect requires opioid system activation. The dissociative effects of ketamine are not mediated by the opioid system, and they do not appear sufficient without the opioid effect to produce the acute antidepressant effects of ketamine in adults with treatment-resistant depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nolan R. Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | - Boris D. Heifets
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine, Stanford University
| | - Christine Blasey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
- Palo Alto University
| | - Keith Sudheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | - Jaspreet Pannu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | - Heather Pankow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | - Jessica Hawkins
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | - Justin Birnbaum
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | - David M. Lyons
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | - Carolyn I. Rodriguez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
- Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Li Q, Shi L, Lu G, Yu HL, Yeung FK, Wong NK, Sun L, Liu K, Yew D, Pan F, Wang DF, Sham PC. Chronic Ketamine Exposure Causes White Matter Microstructural Abnormalities in Adolescent Cynomolgus Monkeys. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:285. [PMID: 28579941 PMCID: PMC5437169 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute and repeated exposures to ketamine mimic aspects of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia in humans. Recent studies by our group and others have shown that chronicity of ketamine use may be a key element for establishing a more valid model of cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. However, current understanding on the long-term consequences of ketamine exposure on brain circuits has remained incomplete, particularly with regard to microstructural changes of white matter tracts that underpin the neuropathology of schizophrenia. Thus, the present study aimed to expand on previous investigations by examining causal effects of repeated ketamine exposure on white matter integrity in a non-human primate model. Ketamine or saline (control) was administered intravenously for 3 months to male adolescent cynomolgus monkeys (n = 5/group). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) experiments were performed and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was used for data analysis. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was quantified across the whole brain. Profoundly reduced FA on the right side of sagittal striatum, posterior thalamic radiation (PTR), retrolenticular limb of the internal capsule (RLIC) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and on the left side of PTR, middle temporal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus were observed in the ketamine group compared to controls. Diminished white matter integrity found in either fronto-thalamo-temporal or striato-thalamic connections with tracts including the SLF, PTR, and RLIC lends support to similar findings from DTI studies on schizophrenia in humans. This study suggests that chronic ketamine exposure is a useful pharmacological paradigm that might provide translational insights into the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong.,State Key Laboratory for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong.,The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU-SIRI), The University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Lin Shi
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong.,Chow Yuk Ho Center of Innovative Technology for Medicine, Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Gang Lu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Hong-Luan Yu
- Department of Psychology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong UniversityJinan, China
| | - Fu-Ki Yeung
- Research Center for Medical Image Computing, Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Nai-Kei Wong
- Chemical Biology Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Institute of Hepatology, The Third People's Hospital of ShenzhenShenzhen, China
| | - Lin Sun
- Department of Psychology, Weifang Medical UniversityWeifang, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Research Center for Medical Image Computing, Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - David Yew
- School of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Fang Pan
- Department of Medical Psychology, Shandong University School of MedicineJinan, China
| | - De-Feng Wang
- Research Center for Medical Image Computing, Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Pak C Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong.,State Key Laboratory for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong.,Genome Research Centre, The University of Hong KongHong Kong, Hong Kong
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
In this issue (June 2015). SHANGHAI ARCHIVES OF PSYCHIATRY 2015; 27. [PMCID: PMC4526824 DOI: 10.11919/j.issn.1002-0829.215069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2022]
|