Comparative Efficacy of Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression
Psychiatric Annals February 1, 2020 Hatice Guncu Kurt, Murat Altinay, Amit Anand
Patients unresponsive to two antidepressant trials are considered to have treatment-resistant depression (TRD). A review of open-label studies found that various pharmacological and brain stimulation treatments produce similar response rates of 30% to 70% and remission rates of 20% to 50%. In randomized placebo-controlled trials, response rates ranged from 15% to 60% and remission rates from 10% to 40%. Ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy achieve rates at the higher ends of these ranges, with the advantage of rapid action in acute settings. Direct comparative studies with large samples are needed to determine if one treatment offers greater benefit.