Comparative Effect of Intravenous Ketamine and Electroconvulsive Therapy in Major Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Advanced Biomedical Research April 10, 2019 G. Kheirabadi, M. Vafaie, Dorna Kheirabadi et al.
Intravenous ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) produce similar improvements in depressive symptoms among adults with major depressive disorder. In a randomized trial with 32 patients, both treatments reduced depression severity on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, with no statistically significant difference between the groups. Cognitive function was slightly better in the ketamine group, though this difference was not statistically significant. Ketamine treatment did not cause memory deficits, unlike ECT which is often associated with cognitive side effects. The findings suggest ketamine may be a viable alternative to ECT for treating major depression.