Navigating the challenge of patient selection and scales to measure outcomes in ketamine trials for treatment-resistant depression.

A letter critically discusses a previously published study on ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, raising concerns about the methodology, choice of outcome measures, and interpretation of results. The author questions whether the active control and crossover design adequately addressed placebo effects and blinding, and whether the reported improvements reflect genuine antidepressant effects or unblinding and expectation bias. The letter does not present new data but highlights potential limitations in the original study's design and conclusions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The letter about the article "Ketamine for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder: Double-blind active-controlled crossover study" that discusses some points about methodology, outcome measures, and results.