The Use of Ketamine for the Treatment of Anhedonia in Depression.
Liliana Patarroyo-Rodriguez, Stefanie Cavalcanti, Jennifer L. Vande Voort, Balwinder Singh
CNS Drugs August 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-024-01099-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Topics | Depression Esketamine Ketamine |
| Keywords | Ketamine therapy Mental health Anhedonia |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key findings | Ketamine appears to have antianhedonic effects that are independent of its antidepressant properties, though the mechanism is not fully understood. |
Abstract
Anhedonia, a complex symptom rooted in deficits across reward processes, is primarily linked to depression and schizophrenia but transcends diagnostic boundaries across various mental disorders. Its presence correlates with poorer clinical outcomes, including an increased risk of suicide and diminished response to treatment. The neurobiological underpinnings of anhedonia remain incompletely understood despite advancements in biomarkers and imaging that contribute to deeper insights. Ketamine, known for its rapid-acting antidepressant properties, appears to possess antianhedonic effects through a mechanism of action not fully elucidated. This effect appears to be independent of its antidepressant properties. Explorations into alternative antianhedonic treatments have been underway, yet lingering questions persist, underscoring the imperative need for ongoing research to advance the field.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on ketamine for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synthesizing the Evidence for Ketamine and Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: An International Expert Opinion on the Available Evidence and Implementation Adults with treatment-resistant depression | 2021 | Review | |
| Ketamine: a paradigm shift for depression research and treatment | 2019 | Review | |
| Rapid‐acting antidepressant ketamine, its metabolites and other candidates: A historical overview and future perspective | 2019 | Review | |
| Ketamine: A tale of two enantiomers | 2020 | Review | |
| Molecular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant actions of arketamine: beyond the NMDA receptor | 2021 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Environmental determinants of ketamine's prohedonic and antianhedonic efficacy: Persistence of enhanced reward responsiveness is modulated by chronic stress. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics May 1, 2025
- Intravenous ketamine versus esketamine for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology 2025
- The cognitive neuroscience of ketamine in major depression. Brain June 30, 2025
- Ketamine Improves Anhedonic Phenotypes Across Species: Translational Evidence From the Probabilistic Reward Task. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science May 1, 2026
- Clinical correlates of anhedonia non-response to ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. Journal of Affective Disorders August 15, 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 19
- Mechanisms of Ketamine Action as an Antidepressant Molecular Psychiatry March 13, 2018
- Anti-anhedonic effect of ketamine and its neural correlates in treatment-resistant bipolar depression Translational Psychiatry October 14, 2014
- The effects of ketamine on dopaminergic function: meta-analysis and review of the implications for neuropsychiatric disorders Molecular Psychiatry October 3, 2017
- Neural correlates of change in major depressive disorder anhedonia following open-label ketamine Journal of Psychopharmacology February 17, 2015
- Modulation of the antidepressant effects of ketamine by the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin Neuropsychopharmacology February 24, 2020
and 14 more in the library