Ketamine for the treatment of major depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis
EClinicalMedicine August 1, 2023 Stevan Nikolin, Anthony Rodgers, Andreas Schwaab et al. 166 citations
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 49 randomized controlled trials with 3,299 participants found that racemic ketamine produced larger reductions in depression severity than esketamine, both immediately after the first dose and during repeated dosing. Higher doses were more effective than lower doses. After the final dose, only racemic ketamine maintained a significant effect; esketamine did not. Dropout rates were similar between treatment and control conditions.