Insomnia and Esketamine Add-On Therapy to Antidepressant Therapy in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression-A Pilot Study.
Daniel Szawarnoga, Joanna Fojcik, Michał Górski, Artur Pałasz, Marek Krzystanek
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) July 19, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/ph18071066 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 50 |
| Population | Patients with drug-resistant depression |
| Interventions | Esketamine in combination with other antidepressants other antidepressants |
| Topics | Depression Esketamine |
| Keywords | Insomnia Sleep disorders Stubborn depression Refractory depression Sleep disturbances Sleep problems |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Esketamine use is associated with less insomnia and improved sleep quality compared with other antidepressants in patients with drug-resistant depression. |
Abstract
Background: Insomnia, as one of the most common sleep disorders, is a significant health problem, especially among patients suffering from drug-resistant depression. Problems related to the quality of sleep in that population can significantly affect the effectiveness of treatment and quality of life, which is why it is necessary to search for effective therapeutic interventions in this area.
Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of esketamine and other standard antidepressants in improving sleep quality in patients with drug-resistant depression. The main research question is whether and to what extent esketamine improves sleep parameters compared with other antidepressants.
Methods: This study involves the analysis of data collected from 50 patients divided into two groups: those using esketamine in combination with other antidepressants and those using other antidepressants. The analysis of the results focuses on the assessment of differences in AIS scores between the groups assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS).
Results: Insomnia occurs much less frequently among people using esketamine than among people not using this drug. With the increase in the time of using esketamine and with the increase in the dose, the level of insomnia decreases.
Conclusions: Esketamine brings about a rapid improvement in sleep quality, which is a significant advance in the treatment of drug-resistant depression. The obtained results not only confirm the effectiveness of esketamine but also show its advantage over traditional treatment methods in improving sleep quality.