Evaluation of Early Ketamine Effects on Belief-Updating Biases in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression
H. Bottemanne, O. Morlaàs, A. Claret, T. Sharot, P. Fossati, Liane Schmidt
JAMA Psychiatry September 28, 2022 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.2996 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn patients with treatment-resistant depression, a single ketamine infusion shifted belief updating toward a more optimistic bias within 4 hours. This early cognitive change was characterized by stronger asymmetrical reinforcement learning and, after one week of treatment, mediated the clinical antidepressant effect. The findings offer new insights into how fast-acting antidepressants alter cognition, which could be harnessed to promote lasting clinical improvement and treatment responsiveness.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with treatment-resistant depression |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Duration | 4 hours after first infusion; 1-week follow-up |
| Keywords | Medicine Psychology |
| Citations | 59 |
| Key finding | Belief updating became more optimistically biased as soon as 4 hours after a first ketamine infusion, and this effect mediated the clinical antidepressant response at 1 week. |
Abstract
Key Points Question What are the effects of ketamine on belief updating in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD)? Findings This case-control study in patients with TRD showed that belief updating became more optimistically biased as soon as 4 hours after a first ketamine infusion. This early cognitive effect of ketamine was formalized by stronger asymmetrical reinforcement learning and mediated at 1 week of treatment the clinical antidepressant effect. Meaning These findings provide new perspectives for the understanding of the cognitive effects of fast-acting antidepressants that potentially can be leveraged to promote sustained clinical improvement and treatment responsiveness.