Single, Repeated, and Maintenance Ketamine Infusions for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
American Journal of Psychiatry March 29, 2019 J. Phillips, S. Norris, J. Talbot et al. 416 citations
A single infusion of ketamine reduces depressive symptoms more than an active placebo (midazolam) in people with treatment-resistant depression 24 hours after treatment. Repeated infusions produce cumulative antidepressant effects and double the response rate; 59% of participants responded after a median of three infusions. Weekly maintenance infusions sustain the reduction in depressive symptoms among responders but do not produce further improvement. The findings suggest that repeated ketamine infusions offer a viable strategy for prolonging antidepressant effects in this population.