Intravenous Ketamine for Late-Life Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Pilot Study of Tolerability, Safety, Clinical Benefits, and Effect on Cognition

Summary

Repeated intravenous ketamine infusions are well-tolerated and associated with improvements in depression and executive function in older adults aged 60 and older with treatment-resistant depression. In a pilot trial, 25 participants received ketamine twice weekly for four weeks, with partial responders continuing weekly infusions for four more weeks. Completion rates were high (88% acute, 100% continuation), with no serious adverse events or discontinuations due to side effects. Transient blood pressure elevation, dissociation, and craving occurred but were manageable. Depressive symptoms improved significantly, with 48% of participants responding. Executive function and overall fluid cognition also improved (Cohen's d = 0.61) and were sustained.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Objective: Evidence-based treatment options for late-life treatment-resistant depression (TRD) are limited. Ketamine is a promising treatment for TRD; however, there is a paucity of data on its safety and efficacy in older adults. Methods: In this pilot clinical trial, 25 adults aged ≥60 years with TRD received IV ketamine openly twice a week for 4 weeks; partial responders at the end of this acute phase were eligible to receive weekly infusions for 4 more weeks in a continuation phase. Acceptability, tolerability, and safety, including adverse and serious adverse events (AEs and SAEs), blood pressure changes, dissociation, craving, in addition to rates of depression response and remission were evaluated. The NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery was used to assess specific measures of executive function (EF) and overall fluid cognition. Results: Completion rates were 88% for the acute phase and 100% for the continuation phase. No AEs resulted in participant discontinuation, and there were no SAEs. Treatment-emergent elevation of blood pressure, dissociation, and craving were transient and did not result in any participant discontinuation. Depressive symptoms improved significantly and 48% of participants responded. During the acute phase, the EF measures and the fluid cognition composite score improved (Cohen’s d = 0.61), and these improvements were sustained in the continuation phase. Conclusion: This pilot study suggests that repeated IV ketamine infusions are well-tolerated and are associated with improvement in depression and EF in older adults with TRD. These promising findings need to be confirmed and extended in a larger randomized controlled trial.