Controlled study of esketamine treatment for depression with suicidal ideation based on near-infrared spectroscopy

This parallel, controlled Phase 4 trial (n=60) in China is evaluating intravenous esketamine for adults with depression and suicidal ideation. Participants are allocated to an observation group receiving esketamine infusion or a control group treated with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The study is designed to assess the clinical effects of esketamine in this high-risk population, with outcomes measured using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). These primary outcomes focus on changes in depressive symptoms and suicidality, although the specific assessment timepoints are not provided in the trial record. A secondary outcome is frontal lobe oxygenated haemoglobin concentration measured by near-infrared brain imaging, suggesting an interest in correlating symptomatic improvement with changes in cerebral haemodynamics. The trial is sponsored by Huzhou Third Municipal Hospital. As a registered Chinese interventional study, it adds to the growing body of clinical research examining esketamine as a rapid-acting treatment option for depression with suicidal ideation.