Effects of subanesthetic repeated esketamine infusions on memory function and NGF in patients with depression: An open-label study.
Journal of affective disorders January 15, 2025 Qiongyao Yang, Yitan Yao, Xiaoping Yuan et al. 3 citations
In patients with depression, six intravenous infusions of esketamine (0.4 mg/kg) over 11 days significantly reduced depressive symptoms, with mean Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale scores dropping from 32.11 to 15.10. Memory function—including immediate memory, language, attention, and delayed memory—improved, and plasma nerve growth factor (NGF) levels rose from 226.13 to 384.37 pg/mL. A positive correlation existed between baseline memory function and NGF levels, while higher baseline memory was linked to smaller NGF increases. These findings suggest NGF may contribute to esketamine's memory-enhancing effects, though the open-label design limits certainty.