Oral Ketamine for the Treatment of Depression: A randomized controlled trial and meta-analysis
Leo R. Silberbauer, Benjamin Eggerstorfer, Paul Michenthaler, Sabine Reichel, Thomas Stimpfl, Thomas Vanicek, Angela Naderi-Heiden, Siegfried Kasper, Rupert Lanzenberger, Gregor Gryglewski
medRxiv Preprint Server March 21, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2025.03.21.25324252 via medRxiv
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractOral ketamine may offer a more accessible alternative to intravenous and intranasal routes for treating depression, as it is easier to administer and has established safety and efficacy for chronic pain patients at home. The text suggests that current delivery methods limit ketamine's availability to specialized centers, but oral administration could expand access to antidepressant therapy.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Randomized |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Oral ketamine |
| Topics | Ketamine |
| Keywords | Depression treatment Mental health management Mood disorder therapy Antidepressant care Psychiatric intervention |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | Oral ketamine may be an alternative to intravenous and intranasal routes for antidepressant therapy, offering easier administration and established safety in home settings for chronic pain. |
Abstract
Background Ketamine represents a significant advancement in antidepressant therapy, but the commonly used intravenous and intranasal application routes currently limit its availability beyond specialized centers. By contrast, oral ketamine treatment might constitute an alternative that is easy to administer with established safety and efficacy for patients with chronic and severe pain at home.