Is ketamine effective and safe for treatment-resistant depression?
Amanda Zorn, Sean Linn, Mat Jenkinson, Jon O Neher, Sarah Safranek, Gary Kelsberg
The Journal of family practice April 1, 2021 DOI: 10.12788/jfp.0176 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with depression, including treatment-resistant major depression |
| Interventions | Oral ketamine Intranasal esketamine spray |
| Duration | 1-3 days to 6 weeks |
| Topics | Depression Esketamine Ketamine |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Ketamine and esketamine show short-term efficacy for depression, but evidence is limited by small, low-quality trials and significant adverse effects. |
Abstract
MAYBE, but it's too soon to tell. There is limited evidence that ketamine by itself is effective in the very short term. Single-dose intravenous (IV) ketamine is more likely than placebo (odds ratio = 11-13) to produce improvement (> 50%) in standardized depression scores in 1 to 3 days, lasting up to a week. Twice- or thriceweekly IV ketamine improves symptom scores by 20%-25% over 2 weeks (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, meta-analysis of small, low-quality, randomized controlled trials [RCTs] and a single small RCT).Augmentation of sertraline with daily oral ketamine moderately improves symptom scores for 6 weeks in patients with moderate depression (SOR: B, small, lowquality RCTs).Augmentation of oral antidepressants (duloxetine, escitalopram, sertraline, venlafaxine) with intranasal esketamine spray improves response and remission rates at 4 weeks (16% for both outcomes) in patients with predominantly treatment-resistant major depression (SOR: A, meta-analysis of RCTs).Ketamine therapy is associated with confusion, emotional blunting, headache, dizziness, and blurred vision (SOR: A, metaanalyses).Nasal esketamine spray produces the adverse effects of dizziness, vertigo, and blurred vision severe enough to cause discontinuation in 4% of patients; it also can produce transient elevation of blood pressure (SOR: A, meta-analyses).
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on ketamine for depression, most cited first.