Validation of the McIntyre And Rosenblat Rapid Response Scale (MARRRS) in Adults with Treatment-Resistant Depression Receiving Intravenous Ketamine Treatment.
Roger S McIntyre, Nelson B Rodrigues, Orly Lipsitz, Yena Lee, Danielle S. Cha, Hartej Gill, Leanna M.W. Lui, Mehala Subramaniapillai, Kevin Kratiuk, R. Ho, Rodrigo B. Mansur, Joshua D. Rosenblat
Journal of Affective Disorders March 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.03.053 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Open-label Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 64 |
| Population | Adults with treatment-resistant depression receiving intravenous ketamine |
| Intervention | Intravenous ketamine |
| Duration | Acute course of four infusions |
| Topics | Depression Esketamine Ketamine |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key findings | The MARRRS is a valid and sensitive self-report measure for tracking depression symptom changes during rapid-acting antidepressant treatment with ketamine. |
Abstract
Background: Depression severity and efficacy measurement scales employed for rapid-acting treatments (e.g., ketamine) were initially validated in adults receiving conventional monoamine-based antidepressants. The emergence of rapid-acting antidepressants in psychiatry provides the impetus for outcome measures that have been validated as sensitive to change with rapid-acting treatments. Herein, we provide results validating the McIntyre and Rosenblat Rapid Response Scale (MARRRS).
Methods: Adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) receiving intravenous (IV) ketamine had depressive symptoms measured with the 16-Item Quick Inventory Depressive Symptoms Self-Report (QIDS-SR-16) and MARRRS at baseline and as a repeated measure across an acute course of four infusions. The MARRRS is a self-report measure assessing depressive symptoms during the past 72 hours.
Results: Sixty-four patients (Mage = 45.4 ± 13.5) were included. The MARRRS had a high internal consistency across acute infusions as determined by Cronbach's alpha (0.84 to 0.94). There was significant convergent validity between the QIDS-SR-16 and MARRRS total scores across infusions (rs(292) = .87, p < .001); the MARRRS was also sensitive to change (rs(49) = .70, p < .001). Exploratory factor analysis revealed that MARRRS items loaded onto two factors (i.e., dysphoria and psychic anxiety) accounting for 63.4% of the total variance.
Limitations: Heterogenous sample of adults with TRD receiving open-label treatment without placebo comparison.
Conclusion: The MARRRS is a brief validated self-report metric of depression symptom severity that is sensitive to change with the rapid-acting antidepressant ketamine. Measuring outcomes with the MARRRS informs treatment progress and facilitates treatment decisions in persons receiving the rapid-acting antidepressant ketamine. Studies of other rapid-acting antidepressants should incorporate outcome measures that are validated as sensitive to change with rapid-acting antidepressants.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment resistant depression: A randomized clinical trial evaluating repeated doses of psilocybin. Med March 8, 2024
- Use of ketamine for treatment resistant depression: updated review of literature and practical applications to a community ketamine program in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023
- Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met and CYP2B6 polymorphisms as predictors for ketamine effectiveness in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Journal of Psychopharmacology April 1, 2024
- Recommendations for selection and adaptation of rating scales for clinical studies of rapid-acting antidepressants. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023
- Examining the effects of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy on anhedonia in treatment-resistant depression Journal of Affective Disorders February 12, 2026
and 1 more in the library
Cites 9
- Antidepressant Efficacy of Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression: A Two-Site Randomized Controlled Trial American Journal of Psychiatry August 28, 2013
- Synthesizing the Evidence for Ketamine and Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: An International Expert Opinion on the Available Evidence and Implementation American Journal of Psychiatry March 17, 2021
- Ketamine and Other NMDA Antagonists: Early Clinical Trials and Possible Mechanisms in Depression American Journal of Psychiatry October 1, 2015
- A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders JAMA Psychiatry March 1, 2017
- The effect of intravenous, intranasal, and oral ketamine in mood disorders: A meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders November 1, 2020
and 4 more in the library