A comparison of the antianhedonic effects of repeated ketamine infusions in melancholic and non-melancholic depression
Wei Zheng, Xin-Hu Yang, Li-Mei Gu, Jian-Qiang Tan, Yan-Ling Zhou, Cheng-Yu Wang, Yu-Ping Ning
Frontiers in Psychiatry December 22, 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1033019 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 135 |
| Population | Patients with melancholic and non-melancholic depression |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Dose | 0.5 mg/kg |
| Duration | Six intravenous infusions, assessed at day 26 |
| Topics | Depression Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Clinical trial Melancholia Response |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Ketamine produced similar antianhedonic effects in patients with melancholic and non-melancholic depression, with no significant difference in response or remission rates. |
Abstract
ObjectivesMelancholic depression may respond differently to certain treatments. The aim of this study was to compare the antianhedonic effects of six intravenous injections of 0.5 mg/kg ketamine in patients with melancholic and non-melancholic depression, which remain largely unknown.MethodsIndividuals experiencing melancholic (n = 30) and non-melancholic (n = 105) depression were recruited and assessed for anhedonic symptoms using the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The presence of melancholic depression was measured with the depression scale items at baseline based on DSM-5 criteria.ResultsA total of 30 (22.2%) patients with depression fulfilled the DSM-5 criteria for melancholic depression. Patients with melancholic depression had a non-significant lower antianhedonic response (43.3 vs. 50.5%, t = 0.5, p > 0.05) and remission (20.0 vs. 21.0%, t = 0.01, p > 0.05) to repeated-dose ketamine infusions than those with non-melancholic depression. The melancholic group had significantly lower MADRS anhedonia subscale scores than the non-melancholic group at day 26 (p < 0.05).ConclusionAfter six ketamine infusions, the improvement of anhedonic symptoms was found in both patients with melancholic and non-melancholic depression, and the efficacy was similar in both groups.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on ketamine for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concomitant BDNF and sleep slow wave changes indicate ketamine-induced plasticity in major depressive disorder Patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder | 2012 | Observational cohort | n = 30 |
| Altered peripheral immune profiles in treatment-resistant depression: response to ketamine and prediction of treatment outcome Healthy controls and actively depressed patients with treatment-resistant depression... | 2017 | Observational cohort | n = 59 |
| Clinical Predictors of Ketamine Response in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression Treatment-resistant inpatients with DSM-IV-TR-diagnosed major depressive disorder or... | 2014 | Post hoc analysis of pooled data from four studies | n = 108 |
| An investigation of amino-acid neurotransmitters as potential predictors of clinical improvement to ketamine in depression Drug-free patients with major depressive disorder | 2011 | Observational cohort | n = 14 |
| Efficacy of ketamine therapy in the treatment of depression Drug-free/naïve men with severe depression, no history of psychotic disorder, head... | 2019 | Observational cohort | n = 25 |