Case Reports Showing a Long-Term Effect of Subanesthetic Ketamine Infusion in Reducing L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesias

Ketamine is an FDA-approved drug with a known safety profile. Low-dose subanesthetic intravenous ketamine infusion treatment has led to long-term reduction of treatment-resistant depression and of chronic pain states. We report on low-dose subanesthetic intravenous ketamine infusion treatment in Par...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCase reports in neurology Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 53 - 58
Main Authors Sherman, Scott J., Estevez, Miguel, Magill, Ari B., Falk, Torsten
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel, Switzerland S. Karger AG 01.01.2016
Karger Publishers
Subjects
Depression
Hypersynchrony
Levodopa
NMDA receptors
Pain
Parkinson's disease
Published: February 2016
Depression
Parkinson's disease
Pain
Levodopa
NMDA receptors
Hypersynchrony
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Summary:Ketamine is an FDA-approved drug with a known safety profile. Low-dose subanesthetic intravenous ketamine infusion treatment has led to long-term reduction of treatment-resistant depression and of chronic pain states. We report on low-dose subanesthetic intravenous ketamine infusion treatment in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients by 5 case studies and show a long-lasting therapeutic benefit to reduce L -DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID), improve on time, and reduce depression. Based on the literature we hypothesize that low-dose ketamine may act as a ‘chemical deep brain stimulation', by desynchronizing hypersynchronous oscillatory brain activity, including in the basal ganglia and the motor cortex. The presented PD case reports indicate tolerability, safety and long-term beneficial effects of low-dose ketamine infusion that should be further investigated in a properly controlled prospective clinical trial for treatment of LID, as well as the prevalent nonmotor features pain and depression in PD patients.
ISSN:1662-680X
1662-680X
DOI:10.1159/000444278