A retrospective analysis of iv ketamine outcome on hospitalisations in an unselected psychiatric sample.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the outcome with iv ketamine treatment in a real-world clinical setting, primarily measured as posttreatment days hospitalised. METHODS: The psychiatric medical records of 46 patients having received iv ketamine on a psychiatric treatment indication between 2015 and 2018 were retrospectively examined. Analysis comparing the number and duration of hospital admissions before and after ketamine treatment as well as logistic regression analysis to investigate clinical predictors of effectiveness, were performed. To assess patients' severity of depressed symptoms records were screened for MADRS-S scores. RESULTS: No significant difference between pre- and posttreatment hospital days (p = 0.170), or number of hospitalisations (p = 0.740) were found. The response rate was 31% and remission rate 21%. None of the predictors showed statistical significance in the logistic model. CONCLUSION: Iv ketamine treatment showed effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms even with complex patients in a real-world clinical setting. However, this did not translate to a reduction in hospitalisation. Highlighting the multifaceted challenges posed when implementing iv ketamine treatment in clinical practice.

Cost-utility analysis of esketamine and electroconvulsive therapy in adults with treatment-resistant depression.

BACKGROUND: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has long been used for treating individuals with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Esketamine has recently emerged as a new treatment for TRD due to its rapid antidepressant effects. To further inform the decision regarding choice of treatment, this paper aims to evaluate whether ECT or esketamine is the more cost-effective option. METHODS: The cost-effectiveness was derived as cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) using a Markov model from a societal and life-time perspective. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated. Health states included different depression and remission states and death. Data to populate the model was derived from randomised controlled trials and other research. Various sensitivity analyses were carried out to test the robustness of the model. RESULTS: The base case scenario shows that ECT is cost-effective compared to esketamine and yields more QALYs at a lower cost. The sensitivity analysis shows that ECT is cost-effective in all scenarios and ECT dominates esketamine in 12 scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that, from a cost-effectiveness point of view, ECT should be the first-hand option for individuals with TRD, when other first line treatments have failed. Considering the lack of economic evaluation of ECT and esketamine, this study is of great value to decision makers.

CSF Apolipoprotein E in attempted suicide.

BACKGROUND: Cholesterol and cholesterol metabolism, involved in continued neural plasticity, has been associated to suicide and suicidal behavior. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) plays an important role in the cholesterol metabolism. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ApoE in cerebrospinal fluid was related to severity of suicidal behavior as measured by number of earlier suicide attempts, reversibility/interruptabilty and violent method of suicide attempt. METHODS: CSF ApoE and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA) were measured in 42 medication free suicide attempters. Earlier suicide attempts and the reversibility of suicide attempt method were assessed with the Suicide Intent Scale (SIS) and the Freeman Scale. Suicide attempts were classified according to violence of method. RESULTS: CSF ApoE levels significantly negatively correlated to the scores on Freeman Reversibility and there was a trend for lower CSF ApoE levels in suicide attempters using a violent method. Patients with at least one earlier suicide attempt (repeaters) showed a trend for higher CSF ApoE levels compared to suicide attempters debuting with suicidal behavior at inclusion in the study. The correlation between CSF ApoE and 5-HIAA was not significant. LIMITATIONS: The main limitations to this study were a relatively small sample size and lack of a healthy control group. CONCLUSION: Irreversible suicide attempts, representing a high risk for completed suicide, may be associated with lower level of ApoE in CSF.

Plasma apolipoprotein E and severity of suicidal behaviour.

There is evidence for association between low cholesterol levels and suicidal behaviour. Since apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is involved in the cholesterol metabolism in both the periphery and in the central nervous system; it may be of particular interest in the neurobiology of suicidal behaviour. Furthermore, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, one of the main biological systems implicated in both suicidal behaviour and early-life adversity, affect ApoE levels. Very few studies have assessed plasma ApoE in relation to suicidal behaviour. The purpose of this study was to investigate levels of ApoE in plasma in relation to the severity of suicidal behaviour and life-time adversity in the form of exposure to interpersonal violence in suicide attempters. A total of 100 suicide attempters (67 women and 33 men) were enroled in the study. Information on earlier suicide attempts and age at onset of suicidal behaviour was gathered using the Karolinska Suicide History Interview. The Karolinska Interpersonal Violence Scale was used to assess exposure to interpersonal violence. Plasma ApoE was measured by immunonephelometry according to accredited routines. Patients with at least one earlier suicide attempt had significantly higher ApoE levels compared to suicide attempters debuting with suicidal behaviour at inclusion in the study. A higher number of earlier suicide attempts was significantly correlated with higher plasma ApoE levels. Age at onset was significantly negatively correlated with ApoE after adjusting for age. ApoE showed a significant positive correlation with exposure to interpersonal violence as a child in male suicide attempters. Our findings indicate that ApoE may be related to stress and trauma and the temporal severity of suicidal behaviour.

Cholesterol and the "Cycle of Violence" in attempted suicide.

An association between low levels of serum cholesterol and violent or suicidal behaviour has frequently been reported. However the role of serum cholesterol in the cycle of violence (Widom, 1989) has not been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate association between exposure to violence during childhood and used adult violence in suicide attempters with low and high serum cholesterol levels. 81 suicide attempters were assessed with the Karolinska Interpersonal Violence Scale (KIVS) measuring exposure to violence and expressed violent behaviour in childhood (between 6 and 14 years of age) and during adult life (15 years or older). We used median split to dichotomise groups below and above median serum cholesterol. In patients with serum cholesterol below median, the correlation between exposure to violence as a child and used adult violence was significant (rho=0.52, p=0.002), while in patients with serum cholesterol above median, the correlation between exposure to violence as a child and expressed violent behaviour as an adult was not significant (rho=0.25, p=0.2). Comorbid substance abuse predicted violent behaviour as an adult only in patients with serum cholesterol above median. Serum cholesterol may modify the effect of the "Cycle of Violence".