Efficacy of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Ketamine Therapy in Major Depressive Disorder; A Comparative Study
Asif Azeem Bajwa, Sohail Ali, Sikandar Ali Khan, Nida Saleem, Tashfeen Bin Nazir
Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal March 30, 2023 DOI: 10.51253/pafmj.v73i1.8818 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Comparative cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Hospitalized patients with major depressive disorder |
| Interventions | Electroconvulsive therapy Ketamine infusions |
| Dose | low dose |
| Topics | Depression Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Electroconvulsive therapy Ect versus ketamine |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Low-dose ketamine has a more rapid impact than electroconvulsive therapy in improving symptoms of depression in major depressive disorder patients. |
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate and compare the efficacy of Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and Ketamine infusions in hospitalized patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD). Study
Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and duration of study: Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Feb to Apr 2021. Methodology: Forty in-patients diagnosed as having MDD were randomly allocated ECT/Ketamine intervention as per international standards. Either group of patients acted as a control for the other. Their Beck Depressive Inventory (BDI) scores before and after the completion of treatment cycles were assessed to determine their response to treatment.
Results: The Ketamine-Group showed fewer depressive symptoms than the ECT Group. The depressive symptoms were reduced in 16(80.78%) patients after Ketamine infusions, while 15(77.78%) patients showed improvement after ECT sessions.In addition, the response to Ketamine was quicker.
Conclusion: This study has reported that low dose Ketamine has a more rapid impact than Electroconvulsive therapy in improving symptoms of depression in major depressive disorder patients.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on ketamine for depression, most cited first.