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.
BMC Psychiatry
June 2, 2020
J. Phillips, N. Jaworska, Elizabeth Kamler et al.
22 citations
A multi-centre trial across four Canadian institutions will compare intravenous ketamine infusions with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for treating major depressive episodes in 240 patients with major depressive or bipolar disorder. Patients are randomized to either ECT or ketamine three times per week for three to four weeks; non-responders cross over to the other treatment. Responders enter a six-month maintenance phase. The primary outcome is change in depression severity scores assessed by blinded raters. The study aims to identify clinical, molecular, and imaging predictors of response to each treatment.
International Clinical Psychopharmacology
April 23, 2021
Kyle T. Greenway, N. Garel, N. Goyette et al.
12 citations
Intravenous ketamine effectively treats bipolar depression, but its side-effect of dissociation can be distressing and treatment-limiting. Two patients with bipolar 1 disorder and severe depression received their first ketamine infusion without music and chose music for subsequent infusions. They reported that music improved tolerance of dissociative symptoms, reducing distress and aiding further treatments. Both achieved remission from treatment-resistant depression after six infusions. This is the first report of music's benefits with ketamine for bipolar 1 depression, building on prior research with psychedelics. Principles of music selection from that paradigm may apply to unipolar and bipolar depression, warranting further research.