ArticleJournal of eating disorders2025
Ketamine as adjuvant treatment in eating disorders: an exploratory study of a case series and retrospective analysis.
Article in Journal of eating disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Ketamine Dosing Across Clinical Indications: A Narrative Review Organized by Proposed NMDA-Related Mechanisms.Journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026Review
- Understanding experiences of psychedelic treatments for eating disorders: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.BMC medicine · 2026Review
- Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa: Clinical Considerations and Emerging Models of Care.Current psychiatry reports · 2026Review
- Ketamine or Esketamine in Special Populations of Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
backgroundEating disorders (EDs) significantly impair physical health and psychosocial functioning. Few effective therapeutic approaches exist for EDs, particularly in Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The use of ketamine, already characterized as a noncompetitive NMDA antagonist anesthetic in depression and suicidal ideations, could be an innovative adjuvant treatment for the AN spectrum.
methodsWe describe a case series of eight patients treated with intravenous Ketamine Adjuvant Treatment (KAT) combined with usual care. We also review the literature and discuss the theoretical mechanisms behind the influence of KAT in EDs. Our patients were all female, with a diagnosis of AN spectrum, and aged between 16 and 44. We offered KAT attempting to remodel rigid food-centered thoughts. Some sessions were guided by psychomotor or psychological support, thus working on self-image, body perceptions, self-esteem, and sensorial re-exposure to "forbidden" food.
resultsKAT significantly improved BMI, with a coefficient of 0.71 (0.23-1.20, p = 0.002), with a tendency to improve weight regain dynamics from the fourth or fifth infusion onwards. It could also reduce AN psychopathology and obsessive-compulsive-like symptoms (ruminations, cognitive rigidity, guilt), improving clinical evolution.
conclusionsOur findings underscore the potential of KAT as a therapeutic approach for restrictive EDs as an adjuvant treatment or after failure of first-line treatments. It particularly addresses rigid thought patterns and neurocognitive biases that are notoriously difficult to target. Ketamine's "pro-plasticity" and "pro-neurogenesis" properties may facilitate this effect. KAT represents a potential tool after failure of first-line treatments. Future research in controlled studies is imperative to corroborate its effect.
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