Lancet psychiatry
January 1, 2018
Brooke L Short, J. Fong, V. Galvez et al.
551 citations
A systematic review of 60 studies on ketamine for depression found that after a single dose, psychiatric, psychotomimetic, cardiovascular, neurological, and other side effects were reported more often with ketamine than with placebo. The review identified a selective reporting bias: long-term safety and repeated-dose effects were poorly assessed in depression patients, even though such data exist for other groups (e.g., chronic pain patients and recreational users). The authors recommend large-scale trials with multiple doses and long-term follow-up to evaluate the safety of regular ketamine use.
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
February 20, 2020
G. C. Leal, I. D. Bandeira, F. S. Correia-Melo et al.
257 citations
A single intravenous infusion of arketamine (0.5 mg/kg) rapidly reduced depression severity in seven people with treatment-resistant depression. The Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale score fell from an average of 30.7 before infusion to 10.4 after one day, a mean drop of 20.3 points. Dissociative side effects were nearly absent. The findings suggest arketamine may produce fast-onset and sustained antidepressant effects with a favorable safety profile, as previously observed in animals, but controlled trials are needed to confirm.
Journal of Affective Disorders
November 14, 2019
F. S. Correia-Melo, G. C. Leal, F. Vieira et al.
188 citations
In adults with treatment-resistant depression, a single intravenous infusion of esketamine (0.25 mg/kg) was non-inferior to ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) for achieving remission 24 hours later. Among 63 participants, 29.4% in the esketamine group and 24.1% in the ketamine group showed remission, a difference of 5.3% that fell within the predefined non-inferiority margin. Depression scores on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale improved similarly in both groups, and side effects were mild and comparable. The findings suggest that esketamine at half the dose of ketamine offers equivalent short-term efficacy and safety.
Lancet psychiatry
May 1, 2017
I. Anderson, A. Blamire, T. Branton et al.
106 citations
Adding a low dose of the drug ketamine to the anesthetic used during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) does not improve memory or speed recovery in severely depressed patients. In a randomized trial of 79 patients, those who received ketamine scored no better on a test of delayed verbal recall after four ECT sessions than those who received a placebo (saline). The ketamine group actually scored slightly lower on average, and the results rule out any more than a small to moderate benefit. Patients receiving ketamine also reported more adverse events, including transient psychological effects. The findings do not support using ketamine as a routine addition to ECT.