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Ketamine for unipolar major depression: critical examination of antidepressant effects
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 March 2025
Summary
This critical appraisal of a Cochrane Review assesses the efficacy of ketamine for treating unipolar major depressive disorder. The review included 31 randomised controlled trials involving ketamine. Results indicate that intravenous (i.v.) ketamine significantly improves antidepressant response compared with i.v. saline and, to a lesser extent, i.v. midazolam within 24–72 h. However, the evidence is constrained by performance bias owing to masking (‘blinding’) concerns and study heterogeneity, necessitating further robust research to confirm ketamine's clinical potential.
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- Type
- Round the corner
- Information
- Copyright
- © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal College of Psychiatrists
Footnotes
†
Commentary on… Ketamine and other glutamate receptor modulators for depression in adults with unipolar major depressive disorder (Cochrane Corner). See this issue.
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