Treatment With (Es)ketamine in Catatonia
Pim B. van der Meer, Sebastiaan O Verboeket, Arjen J. C. Slooter, Jan W. Schoones, Martijn S. van Noorden, Metten Somers, Albert Batalla, Annemiek Dols
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry October 13, 2025 DOI: 10.4088/jcp.25br15940 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Catatonia Nmda receptor Medline Meta-analysis Depression economics Systematic review Anesthesia Electroconvulsive therapy studies |
| Key findings | Ketamine and esketamine may be beneficial for catatonia, but the evidence is limited and more research is needed. |
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that NMDA receptor antagonists, such as ketamine, may offer benefit in catatonia. This systematic review was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ketamine and esketamine for catatonia.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on ketamine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The effect of a single dose of intravenous ketamine on suicidal ideation: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis Depressed patients with suicidal ideation at baseline | 2017 | Systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis | n = 167 |
| Ketamine use: a review Ketamine users | 2011 | Systematic review | |
| Ketamine and Other NMDA Antagonists: Early Clinical Trials and Possible Mechanisms in Depression Participants with major depression in placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized... | 2015 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| Ketamine and postoperative pain – a quantitative systematic review of randomised trials Surgical patients from 25 countries | 2004 | Systematic review | n = 2,839 |
| Side-effects associated with ketamine use in depression: a systematic review. Patients with depression | 2018 | Systematic review |