A randomized controlled pilot study of daily intravenous ketamine over three days for treatment-resistant depression.
BMC psychiatry July 18, 2024 Keerati Pattanaseri, Juthawadee Lortrakul, Kankamol Jaisin et al. 11 citations
Three consecutive daily infusions of intravenous ketamine did not produce a greater antidepressant effect than the active placebo midazolam in adults aged 18–64 with treatment-resistant depression. By day 10, the ketamine group showed an average reduction of 12.55 points on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, while the midazolam group decreased by 17.22 points; by day 31, reductions were 13.73 and 12.44 points, respectively. Both treatments were well tolerated, and dissociative symptoms from ketamine were temporary. The findings indicate that this specific dosing schedule offers no notable advantage over midazolam, emphasizing the need for further research on effective treatment regimens.