At-home, telehealth-supported ketamine treatment for depression: Findings from longitudinal, machine learning and symptom network analysis of real-world data.
Journal of affective disorders September 15, 2024 David S Mathai, Thomas D Hull, Leonardo Vando et al. 22 citations
In a large longitudinal study of 11,441 moderately-to-severely depressed patients who received four doses of sublingual ketamine at home over four weeks within a supportive digital health context, treatment was associated with improvement in depression symptoms. A modal antidepressant response occurred in both non-severe (55.8%) and severe (18.1%) baseline depression levels. Adverse events were detected in 3.0-4.8% of participants, predominantly neurologic or psychiatric. A second course of treatment extended improvements in those who responded favorably. Improvement was most strongly predicted by lower baseline depression scores and younger age. Symptoms of depressed mood and anhedonia persisted despite treatment. The study lacked a control group and fixed-dose procedure. At-home, telehealth-supported ketamine administration was largely safe, well-tolerated, and associated with improvement.