KET-MCI: A Pilot Safety and Tolerability Study of Single Infusion Intravenous Ketamine for Older Adults with Depression and Mild Cognitive Impairment
American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry February 24, 2026 Rachel Fremont, Amelia Karim, Tanya Peguero Estevez et al. 1 citation
In an open-label clinical trial, a single intravenous infusion of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) was safe and well tolerated in 13 patients with mild cognitive impairment and major depressive disorder. No serious adverse events occurred. Depression severity, measured by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, dropped from a mean of 27.4 before treatment to 5.7 at 24 hours after the infusion—a large-magnitude improvement. For 8 of the 13 patients, this improvement persisted for up to one month, with a mean score of 12.1 and at least a 50% reduction. These findings suggest ketamine may be effective for depression in this population, but larger randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm efficacy and assess cognitive effects.