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Magnesium in Ketamine Administration in Treatment-Resistant Depression

Natalia Górska, Wiesław Jerzy Cubała, Jakub Słupski, Mariusz S. Wiglusz, Maria Gałuszko‐węgielnik, Mateusz Kawka, Agata M. Grzegorzewska

Pharmaceuticals May 3, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/ph14050430 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational study Peer reviewed
Population Inpatients with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder
Intervention Ketamine
Duration Weekly assessments before, during (every second infusion), and one week after last ketamine infusion
Topics Ketamine Depression Esketamine
Keywords Magnesium Depression economics Mania Comorbidity Rating scale Observational study Anesthesia Bipolar disorder Lithium medication Electroconvulsive therapy studies
Citations 2
Key findings Serum magnesium concentration changed during ketamine treatment but was not correlated with depression or mania scores or with somatic comorbidities.

Abstract

Relationship between depression and magnesium levels is reported. This observational study examined whether serum magnesium concentration change over time of ketamine treatment course, also whether association between magnesium concentrations and treatment response measured with Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score occurs. Moreover, interlink between changes in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) score, somatic comorbidities, and magnesium concentration was studied. Inpatients with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder were rated weekly by clinician using MADRS and YMRS. Magnesium levels assessments were carried out weekly, before start of ketamine treatment and then every second infusion and one week after last ketamine infusion. The concentration of Mg2+ ions differs depending on the measurement. The Mg2+ concentration in pre-measurement was significantly higher than in measurement after five infusions (p = 0.031) and after seven infusions (p = 0.003). No significant correlation was observed between changes in magnesium serum levels and MADRS or YMRS. The concentration of Mg2+ ion in course of the treatment was not associated with somatic comorbidities. The study supports data for role of magnesium in treatment-resistant depression, particularly related to ketamine treatment, but provides no clear evidence of straightforward association between magnesium serum concentration and treatment response or comorbidity.

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

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