Antidepressant Efficacy of Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression: A Two-Site Randomized Controlled Trial
American Journal of Psychiatry August 28, 2013 James W. Murrough, Dan V. Iosifescu, Lee C. Chang et al. 1,207 citations
A single intravenous infusion of ketamine produced greater improvement in depression severity 24 hours later than the active placebo midazolam in patients with treatment-resistant major depression. In a randomized controlled trial of 73 participants, the ketamine group scored 7.95 points lower on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale than the midazolam group. Response rates were 64% for ketamine and 28% for midazolam, with an odds ratio of 2.18 favoring ketamine. The findings support NMDA receptor modulation as a mechanism for rapid improvement in severe, chronic depression, though more information on durability and safety is needed before clinical use.