Supplementary Material for: Cognitive Behavior Therapy May Sustain Antidepressant Effects of Intravenous Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression

<p><b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Ketamine has shown rapid though short-lived antidepressant effects. The possibility of concerning neurobiological changes following repeated exposure to the drug motivates the development of strategies that obviate or minimize the need for longer-term treatment with ketamine. In this open-label trial, we investigated whether cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can sustain or extend ketamine's antidepressant effects. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Patients who were pursuing ketamine infusion therapy for treatment-resistant depression were invited to participate in the study. If enrolled, the subjects initiated a 12-session, 10-week course of CBT concurrently with a short 4-treatment, 2-week course of intravenous ketamine (0.5 mg/kg infused over 40 min) provided under a standardized clinical protocol. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Sixteen participants initiated the protocol, with 8 (50%) attaining a response to the ketamine and 7 (43.8%) achieving remission during the first 2 weeks of protocol. Among ketamine responders, the relapse rate at the end of the CBT course (8 weeks following the last ketamine exposure) was 25% (2/8). On longer-term follow-up, 5 of 8 subjects eventually relapsed, the median time to relapse being 12 weeks following ketamine exposure. Among ketamine remitters, 3 of 7 retained remission until at least 4 weeks following the last ketamine exposure, with 2 retaining remission through 8 weeks following ketamine exposure. Ketamine nonresponders did not appear to benefit from CBT. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> CBT may sustain the antidepressant effects of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. Well-powered randomized controlled trials are warranted to further investigate this treatment combination as a way to sustain ketamine's antidepressant effects.</p

Conservative management of chronic aortic dissection with underlying aortic aneurysm

Aortic dissection is one of the most common aortic emergencies affecting around 2000 Americans each year. It usually presents in the acute state but in a small percentage of patients aortic dissections go unnoticed and these patients survive without any adequate therapy. With recent advances in medical care and diagnostic technologies, aortic dissection can be successfully managed through surgical or medical options, consequently increasing the related survival rate. However, little is known about the optimal long-term management of patients suffering from chronic aortic dissection. The purpose of the present report is to review aortic dissection, namely its pathology and the current diagnostic tools available, and to discuss the management options for chronic aortic dissection, infiltrates or pleural effusions. Other tion. We report a patient in which chronic aortic dissection presented with recurring episodes of vomiting and also discuss the management plan of our patient who had a chronic aortic dissection as well as an underlying aortic aneurysm