Rapid and sustained antidepressant effects of intravenous ketamine in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder and suicidal ideation: a randomized clinical trial.
Ahmad Zolghadriha, Afagh Anjomshoaa, Mohammad Reza Jamshidi, Farnaz Taherkhani
BMC Psychiatry May 7, 2024 Retracted DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05716-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 64 |
| Population | Patients diagnosed with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Dose | 0.5 mg/kg |
| Duration | 2-month follow-up |
| Topics | Depression Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Clinical trial Suicide ideation Depression treatment Ketamine therapy Mental health research Clinical psychiatry |
| Citations | 24 |
| Post-publication review | 3 comments on PubPeer (opens in new tab) · last active January 2026 |
| Key findings | A single 0.5 mg/kg dose of intravenous ketamine produced rapid and sustained improvements in depression symptoms and suicidal ideation compared to placebo in patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. |
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most disabling and burdensome mental disorder, negatively affecting an individual's quality of life and daily functioning. the current study was conducted with the aim of investigating the clinical effects of intravenous ketamine on symptoms of MDD and suicidal ideation. The current randomized clinical trial was carried out on 64 patients diagnosed with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder between April and August 2022. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the intervention group received a dose of 0.5 mg/kg of ketamine, while the control group received normal saline. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale and Beck's Suicidal Ideation Scale were utilized to assess depression and suicidal ideation, respectively. One hour after the administration of ketamine treatment, there was a notable and significant improvement in both depression symptoms (35.16 ± 8.13 vs. 14.90 ± 10.09) and suicidal ideation (6.74 ± 6.67 vs. 0.42 ± 1.52). Moreover, there were statistically significant differences in depression scores between the two groups at one hour, four hours, one day, three days, one week, one month, and two months after the administration of ketamine (p-value < 0.001). However, ketamine recipients frequently experienced side effects such as increased heart rate, headache, dizziness, and dissociative syndrome symptoms. The observed rapid onset of action and sustained effect demonstrate the potential of ketamine to provide relief from depressive symptoms in a shorter timeframe compared to traditional treatment approaches. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of ketamine as a valuable therapeutic option for patients with treatment-resistant depression. IRCT registration number: IRCT20210806052096N1; IRCT URL: https://www.irct.ir/trial/62243 ; Ethical code: IR.ZUMS.REC.1400.150; Registration date: 2022-04-09.