Functional connectivity of the amygdala subregions and the antidepressant effects of repeated ketamine infusions in major depressive disorder.
Haiyan Liu, Chengyu Wang, Xiaofeng Lan, Weicheng Li, Fan Zhang, Zhibo Hu, Yanxiang Ye, Yuping Ning, Yanling Zhou
European Psychiatry April 4, 2024 DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1744 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 84 |
| Population | 39 patients with major depressive disorder and 45 healthy controls |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Dose | 0.5 mg/kg |
| Topics | Depression Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Amygdala subregion Antidepressant Functional connectivity Ketamine therapy Depression treatment Neuroscience research Brain connectivity Mental health |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key findings | Abnormal resting-state functional connectivity between the left laterobasal amygdala and left precuneus in MDD patients is related to the therapeutic efficacy of ketamine, and baseline connectivity between the left laterobasal amygdala and right superior/middle temporal gyrus predicts the antidepressant response. |
Abstract
Amygdala subregion-based network dysfunction has been determined to be centrally implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD). Little is known about whether ketamine modulates amygdala subarea-related networks. We aimed to investigate the relationships between changes in the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of amygdala subregions and ketamine treatment and to identify important neuroimaging predictors of treatment outcomes. Thirty-nine MDD patients received six doses of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg). Depressive symptoms were assessed, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed before and after treatment. Forty-five healthy controls underwent one MRI scan. Seed-to-voxel RSFC analyses were performed on the amygdala subregions, including the centromedial amygdala (CMA), laterobasal amygdala (LBA), and superficial amygdala subregions. Abnormal RSFC between the left LBA and the left precuneus in MDD patients is related to the therapeutic efficacy of ketamine. There were significant differences in changes in bilateral CMA RSFC with the left orbital part superior frontal gyrus and in changes in the left LBA with the right middle frontal gyrus between responders and nonresponders following ketamine treatment. Moreover, there was a difference in the RSFC of left LBA and the right superior temporal gyrus/middle temporal gyrus (STG/MTG) between responders and nonresponders at baseline, which could predict the antidepressant effect of ketamine on Day 13. The mechanism by which ketamine improves depressive symptoms may be related to its regulation of RSFC in the amygdala subregion. The RSFC between the left LBA and right STG/MTG may predict the response to the antidepressant effect of ketamine.
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 3
- Agitation: Neurobiology and current management guidelines. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine February 1, 2025
- Predictors of responsiveness to ketamine: An updated systematic review of neuroimaging findings. Journal of Affective Disorders July 15, 2026
- Overlap and Divergence in Ketamine and Lithium Response in Bipolar Disorder: A Scoping Review Pharmaceuticals November 3, 2025
Cites 5
- Functional connectivity between the amygdala and subgenual cingulate gyrus predicts the antidepressant effects of ketamine in patients with treatment‐resistant depression Neuropsychopharmacology Reports February 21, 2021
- Functional connectivity of the amygdala and the antidepressant and antisuicidal effects of repeated ketamine infusions in major depressive disorder Frontiers in Neuroscience February 2, 2023
- Antidepressant effect of repeated ketamine administration on kynurenine pathway metabolites in patients with unipolar and bipolar depression. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity November 2018
- Rapid and longer-term antidepressant effects of repeated-dose intravenous ketamine for patients with unipolar and bipolar depression. Journal of Psychiatric Research November 2018
- Safety and efficacy of repeated-dose intravenous ketamine for treatment-resistant depression. Biological Psychiatry January 15, 2010