The Journal of clinical psychiatry
October 2, 2024
Mia C Santucci, Mina Ansari, Sina Nikayin et al.
12 citations
In a real-world clinical setting, 45 patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression received intravenous ketamine or intranasal esketamine. Among 38 who completed an acute series (twice-weekly treatments for up to four weeks), 39% achieved a clinical response (at least 50% improvement on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale) and 13.2% achieved remission (score of 10 or lower). Mean depression scores dropped from 31.1 to 19.2, a 38.3% improvement. No manic or hypomanic episodes occurred during the acute phase. However, during maintenance treatment, 28.9% of patients experienced hypomanic or manic symptoms, with one severe event requiring hospitalization.
General hospital psychiatry
January 1, 2024
Mina Ansari, Brian Pittman, Daniel S Tylee et al.
6 citations
Blood pressure increases during ketamine infusion for depression, peaking at 40 minutes with average rises of 16.0 mmHg systolic and 11.0 mmHg diastolic. Severe hypertension occurred in 12.5% of patients and 0.98% of infusion sessions, most often during the first three treatments. Older age and a history of hypertension were associated with larger blood pressure surges, indicating that careful cardiovascular monitoring is needed, especially for these patients.
Journal of affective disorders
July 15, 2025
Mina Ansari, Taeho Greg Rhee, Mia C Santucci et al.
4 citations
Patients with obesity were significantly more likely to respond to intranasal esketamine for treatment-resistant depression than non-obese patients. Among 190 patients treated at a single clinic, 34.2% were obese. Obese patients had a 63% higher chance of achieving at least a 50% improvement on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale compared to non-obese patients. However, when BMI was analyzed as a continuous measure, no linear relationship with treatment response was found. The authors suggest that increased body fat may prolong the presence of lipid-soluble esketamine or its metabolites, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.
Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing)
April 1, 2025
Sophie I Elliott, Rachel B Katz, Robert B Ostroff et al.
2 citations
For severe treatment-resistant depression, both electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and ketamine are effective, but it remains unclear which is superior. Two noninferiority trials and three meta-analyses show efficacy for both treatments yet report contradictory findings about which works better. Discrepancies may stem from differences in patient selection, outcome measures, treatment delivery, and site experience. Each treatment has unique risks and benefits that should be weighed for individual patients. The authors aim to help clinicians choose the optimal treatment by evaluating the latest evidence and patient-specific factors.
Neurologic clinics
February 1, 2026
Mina Ansari, Sophie I Elliott, Sophie E Holmes et al.
1 citation
Placebo effects in depression treatment trials are substantial and can obscure the true efficacy of new drugs, especially for psychedelic-like compounds. Expectancy, the therapeutic setting, and trial design all interact to shape patient outcomes. This review examines these factors and discusses emerging methods to mitigate, measure, or harness placebo effects in future research on rapid-acting antidepressants and psychedelic therapies.