Optimizing esketamine administration for postoperative depression: a comprehensive study on laparoscopic bariatric surgery patients.
Psychopharmacology February 1, 2025 Jiabao Dai, Yanfeng Lu, Zhiqing Zou et al. 11 citations
Giving a low dose of esketamine before anesthesia, rather than after, reduces depression symptoms after laparoscopic bariatric surgery. In a randomized trial of 120 patients, those who received esketamine two hours before anesthesia had lower depression scores on the first day after surgery and higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) compared to those given esketamine after anesthesia or a placebo. Depression scores and BDNF levels were negatively correlated. The findings suggest that the timing of esketamine relative to anesthesia matters for its antidepressant effect, and that giving it after anesthesia does not improve postoperative depression.