Appetite measures during ketamine administration in treatment-resistant mood disorders: a naturalistic study.
Agnieszka Mechlińska, Mariusz Wiglusz, Jakub Słupski, Krzysztof Pastuszak, Wiesław Jerzy Cubała
Frontiers in Nutrition August 21, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1858899 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adult inpatients with treatment-resistant mood disorders, including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Duration | Up to 7 days following ketamine administration |
| Measures | Visual Analog Scales (VAS), Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ) |
| Topics | Depression Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Appetite Bipolar disorder Treatment-resistant mood disorders |
| Key findings | Repeated ketamine treatment produced no significant changes in appetite, hunger, or desire to eat over treatment and up to 7 days afterward, with consistent results across diagnostic groups and BMI categories. No increased risk of appetite-related undernutrition or clinically relevant weight loss was identified. The authors state these findings suggest no substantial short-term impact of ketamine on appetite regulation or body weight and support a favorable metabolic safety profile. |
Abstract
This study evaluated the acute and short-term effects of repeated ketamine treatment on appetite in adult inpatients with treatment-resistant mood disorders, including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Appetite, hunger, and desire to eat were assessed using the Visual Analog Scales (VAS) and the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ) at baseline and at multiple time points up to 7 days following ketamine administration. No significant changes were observed over the course of treatment, and results were consistent across diagnostic groups and body mass index (BMI) categories. No increased risk of appetite-related undernutrition or clinically relevant weight loss was identified. These findings do not suggest a substantial short-term impact of ketamine on appetite regulation or body weight and are consistent with a favorable metabolic safety profile, supporting its clinical use in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and treatment-resistant bipolar disorder (TRBD).
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 |