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Effects of ketamine on depression beneficial but short‐term

The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update 2016 DOI: 10.1002/pu.30108 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Systematic review and meta-analysis Peer reviewed
Intervention Ketamine
Topics Depression Esketamine Ketamine
Key findings The review concludes that ketamine is the only NMDA receptor antagonist to date that has demonstrated antidepressant efficacy across multiple trials in major depression. The authors caution that these benefits are not sustained over time and that ketamine carries several possible adverse effects.

Abstract

A review and meta‐analysis of the effects of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists in treating major depression has confirmed that ketamine is the only such drug to date that has demonstrated antidepressant efficacy across multiple trials. Authors of the review stated, however, that the findings regarding ketamine should be viewed with caution because the beneficial effects are not sustained over time and because ketamine is associated with several possible adverse effects.

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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