University of Nicosia (UNIC) students Diana Saabneh and Ali Azam Ali Zaher have co-authored a case study on combined treatments for treatment-resistant depression, contributing to existing literature on combination treatments for patients who do not respond to standard therapies.
The case study of the two fourth-year graduate-entry medical students has been published in the international journal Psychiatria Danubina.
The students worked with Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UNIC Medical School, George Mikellides, to document a case involving the combination of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and ketamine therapy.
The case study followed a 55-year-old patient with severe treatment-resistant depression who had not responded to multiple conventional treatments over five years. The treatment protocol combined rTMS sessions using theta-burst stimulation with intramuscular ketamine injections over 30 acute rTMS sessions followed by 12 maintenance sessions.
Following treatment, the patient’s mood ratings improved from 3-4/10 to 7-8/10. Hallucinations and sleep disturbances resolved, and the patient returned to activities including swimming and cooking classes. Treatment-resistant depression affects 30% to 60% of patients with major depressive disorder.
The students conducted patient interviews and wrote the case report under Dr Mikellides’ supervision. The research adds to existing literature on combination treatments for patients who do not respond to standard therapies.
