Department of Anesthesiology, the NO.2 People's Hospital of Changzhou Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China. wuzhouquan2005@126.com.
2 papers in the library · 14 citations · publishing 2025
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.
Adding esketamine to dexmedetomidine improves sleep and depression in people with both insomnia and depression. In a randomized trial with 84 patients, those receiving both drugs after three days showed longer total sleep time, more deep (N3) sleep, less light (N2) and REM sleep, and lower depression and sleep rating scores compared to those given dexmedetomidine alone. Sleep improvements were linked to better depression scores and higher brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. Dry mouth was the most common side effect. The combination extended sleep, deepened sleep continuity, and reduced depression with few adverse events.