Ketamine is a non-inferior treatment option to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for major depressive disorder, with potential advantages in memory function. A meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials involving 643 patients found no significant difference between ketamine and ECT in reducing depression symptom severity or in response rates. However, ketamine was associated with superior memory function improvement compared to ECT. Ketamine also led to higher rates of dissociative symptoms, blurred vision, and dizziness, but a lower incidence of muscle pain. The limited number of studies highlights the need for further large-scale randomized controlled trials to confirm these findings.
Eight sessions of intranasal esketamine, given weekly, helped patients with lung cancer and major depression quit smoking. Self-reported continuous abstinence at six months was 44.1% in the esketamine group, and biologically verified abstinence was 28.8%. Depression and anxiety severity also improved, along with cognitive function, nicotine dependence, urge to smoke, and respiratory symptoms. No serious adverse events occurred. The trial indicates esketamine is a safe and effective aid for smoking cessation in this population.