Efficacy and Safety of Ketamine vs Electroconvulsive Therapy Among Patients With Major Depressive Episode: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
January 25, 2023 DOI: 10.64239/pi-qt4702 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractFor major depression, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is markedly more effective than ketamine after 3–4 weeks of treatment, based on a meta-analysis of 6 randomized head-to-head studies. However, in the two studies that tracked outcomes longer—at 2 and 10 months after treatment—no difference in effectiveness was found between the two treatments.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Randomized |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with major depression |
| Interventions | Electroconvulsive therapy Ketamine |
| Duration | 3–4 weeks of treatment; longer-term outcomes at 2 and 10 months after treatment |
| Key finding | Electroconvulsive therapy is markedly more effective than ketamine for treating major depression after 3–4 weeks, but no difference was found at longer-term follow-ups. |
Abstract
For the treatment of major depression, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is markedly more effective than ketamine, per this meta-analysis of 6 randomized head-to-head comparison studies, at the end of 3–4 weeks of treatment. In 2 of these studies that measured longer-term outcomes (i.e., 2 and 10 months after treatment, respectively), no difference was found in ketamine vs ECT.