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ECT more efficacious than ketamine in reducing depression severity

The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update February 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1002/pu.30969 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Systematic review and meta-analysis Peer reviewed
Population Patients with a major depressive episode
Interventions Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) ketamine
Topics Depression Esketamine Ketamine
Key findings Electroconvulsive therapy is more efficacious than ketamine in reducing depressive symptom severity in patients with a major depressive episode, with no significant between-group differences in adverse event prevalence.

Abstract

Results of a systematic review and meta‐analysis comprising six clinical trials suggest that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is more efficacious than ketamine in reducing the severity of depressive symptoms in patients with a major depressive episode. No significant between‐group differences in the prevalence of adverse events were observed. Results of the meta‐analysis were published online Oct. 19, 2022 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Comparable studies

Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on ketamine for depression, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Ketamine and Other NMDA Antagonists: Early Clinical Trials and Possible Mechanisms in Depression Participants with major depression in placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized... 2015 Systematic review and meta-analysis
Side-effects associated with ketamine use in depression: a systematic review. Patients with depression 2018 Systematic review
Comparative efficacy of racemic ketamine and esketamine for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis Adults with unipolar or bipolar major depression 2020 Systematic review and meta-analysis n = 1,877
Single-dose infusion ketamine and non-ketamine N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists for unipolar and bipolar depression: a meta-analysis of efficacy, safety and time trajectories Patients with major depressive disorder or bipolar depression 2016 Systematic review and meta-analysis n = 588
The use of ketamine as an antidepressant: a systematic review and meta‐analysis People with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder receiving ketamine infusion 2015 Meta-analysis n = 437

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