Depression, neuroinflammation & ketamine...

Ketamine's utility as a potent anti-inflammatory agent is well known. In a previous newsletter we linked to a systematic review exploring this.

Co-authored by the 'father' of ketamine for MDD, Carlos Zarate, a new review article published in Molecular Psychiatry examines ketamine's immunoregulatory mechanism and focuses on the role of the complement system in mediating these effects.

Crucially, the complement system plays a fundamental role in synaptic plasticity and synaptic pruning. Studies have shown increased C3 expression in the prefrontal cortex of depressed and suicidal patients.

Link to the article here

10,000 safe ketamine infusions...

"This achievement underscores our commitment to patient safety. Congratulations to all our medical and nursing staff around the country." (Dr Alan Howard)

Since humble beginnings in the Natal Midlands in 2019, KetaMIND clinics around the country have now collectively administered over 10,000 safe ketamine infusions.

KetaMIND clinics maintain patient safety standards through a robust internal audit system. Updated anaesthesia / sedation and life-support skills, as well as comprehensive patient monitoring are crucial elements of our commitment to patient safety.

KetaMIND has opened a new clinic in Bryanston...

Our new clinic opened its doors on 2nd September at 18 Ealing Crescent, Bryanston, Gauteng. Visit our website for contact details.

Following the success of our Bedfordview clinic, which opened in 2020, we are delighted to announce that we have expanded our services in Gauteng to Bryanston where we opened our 7th clinic on 2nd September.

We wish Dr Greg Stewart and his team everything of the best for this new and exciting initiative.

Case Report: Ketamine infusions in a patient with bipolar disorder and autism...

The probability of shared genetics between bipolar disorder (BD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is well documented.

Published in Frontiers in Psychiatry in Feb '24, the authors of this case study involving comorbid BD and ASD crucially conclude that ketamine infusion therapy (KIT) is not contraindicated in ASD. The outcome of the treatment for this patient was encouraging.

Link to the case

KetaMIND Paarl has been open for a year!

From left to right: Kathryn Mann (Managing Director), Dr Alan Howard (National Medical Director and KetaMIND founder), Dr Talitha Harvey (Clinical Director).

Congratulations to Kathryn Mann and her team for reaching this milestone!

KetaMIND clinics currently offer outpatient ketamine infusions at the following locations:

BEDFORDVIEW / BRYANSTON (GP)

CONSTANTIA (WC)

UMHLANGA (KZN)

PIETERMARITZBURG (KZN)

HILLCREST (KZN)

PAARL (WC)

Contact a KCSA clinic

In the next newsletter..

Journaling during a ketamine infusion? Some useful insights...

A suicidal medical student with PTSD was able to journal his experience while receiving four ketamine infusions. He completely remitted and the case report was published in the Frontiers in Psychiatry in 2022.

The patient (30y/o) presented with a typical 'TRD journey' involving numerous unsuccessful trials of different antidepressants and associated side effects over several years.

Description of his KIT experience provides valuable insights and describes his transition through the typical empathogenic, out-of-body, near-death, and egolytic phases of KIT.

We will link to the case report and the patient's journal entries in the next newsletter.

How did KCSA start in South Africa?

KetaMIND Clinics of South Africa (KCSA) was founded by Dr Alan Howard, a Consultant in Emergency Medicine who returned home permanently to his native South Africa from Ireland in 2019. Read more about Dr Howard and KCSA's flagship clinic in the Natal Midlands in two informative articles published in South African Psychiatry A follow-up article, Ketamine Clinics beyond the Hills can be accessed here.

Dr Howard is a member of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians (ASKP3), and is an associate member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP). He has also served on the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) KZN faculty for over 25-years. Dr Howard founded the Society of Ketamine Practitioners of South Africa (SOKePSA) in 2020.

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