By Raquel Bennett*, Christian Yavorsky and Gary Bravo
Introduction
Bipolar disorder (type 1) is a serious and chronic mood disorder that affects nearly 3% of the population globally (1). It is associated with high rates of disability, suicidal ideation, and completed suicides (2). Conventional treatment for this population typically includes oral antidepressant and mood stabilizing or antipsychotic medication, and possibly anxiolytic or hypnotic medications (3). Even with these medications, many patients with bipolar disorder (type 1) struggle with refractory and recurrent depressive episodes (4). Further, the medications can cause bothersome side effects which interfere with patient compliance. In other words, the medications that are widely used at this time may not sufficiently meet the needs of these individuals (5).
Ketamine treatment may be helpful in addressing…