Brain functional network correlates and predictors of the perioperative antidepressant effect of esketamine in breast cancer patients: a double-blind randomized controlled trial using resting-state fMRI and graph theory.
Huimin Zhu, Qingfeng Wei, Shuang Xu, Yunwei Sun, Xuesheng Liu, Jiajia Zhu, Yongqiang Yu
Transl Psychiatry March 6, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-026-03929-3 via PubMed Central
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn breast cancer patients, a single preoperative dose of esketamine produced a greater reduction in depressive symptoms 24 hours after surgery compared to placebo, as measured by the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale. The antidepressant effect was associated with increased functional connectivity in the left superior frontal gyrus and changes in brain network properties, including reduced clustering coefficient and increased global efficiency in the default mode network. Baseline functional connectivity in the left superior frontal gyrus predicted the magnitude of the antidepressant response. The findings suggest that esketamine's rapid antidepressant action involves modulation of brain functional networks.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Breast cancer patients |
| Intervention | Esketamine |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | A single preoperative dose of esketamine reduced depressive symptoms in breast cancer patients 24 hours after surgery, an effect associated with and predicted by changes in brain functional connectivity and network properties. |
Abstract
Brain functional network correlates and predictors of the perioperative antidepressant effect of esketamine in breast cancer patients: a double-blind randomized controlled trial using resting-state fMRI and graph theory.