Does the intensity of dissociation predict antidepressant effects 24 hours after infusion of racemic ketamine or esketamine in treatment-resistant depression? A secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial
Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy May 27, 2025 Mariana V. F. Echegaray, Rodrigo P. Mello, Guilherme M. Magnavita et al. 11 citations
Among people with treatment-resistant depression, the intensity of dissociation caused by a single infusion of ketamine or esketamine is linked to greater antidepressant effect one day later, but only when dissociative symptoms are mild to moderate. For every one-point increase on a dissociation scale up to 15 points, depression scores improved by an average of 0.5 points after 24 hours. This relationship was not observed at 72 hours or 7 days after infusion. The study was not originally designed to test this relationship, so confounding factors were not controlled, and the finding should be considered suggestive rather than definitive.