Plasma brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and response to ketamine in treatment-resistant depression
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology October 8, 2013 Colin N. Haile, James W. Murrough, Dan V. Iosifescu et al. 251 citations
In patients with treatment-resistant depression, ketamine increased blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in those who responded to the drug, compared to non-responders, 240 minutes after infusion. Higher BDNF levels were strongly linked to lower depression scores at multiple time points up to 72 hours. No such associations appeared in patients given the anesthetic midazolam. The findings support BDNF as a marker of ketamine's antidepressant effects.