The study hypothesis was that depressed subjects receiving ECT with ketamine as the anesthetic agent would demonstrate a faster rate of improvement, defined as lower depression ratings after the second ECT than depressed patients receiving ECT with the usual anesthetic agent.
Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial comparing ketamine versus methohexital as the anesthetic agent for patients receiving ECT; each drug given at approximately 1.0 mg/kg and patients received the same anesthetic for up to six ECT treatments.
Outcomes included depressive severity, cognition, post-anesthesia side effects, and hemodynamics; subjects were followed while receiving inpatient ECT and the number of treatments was determined by their primary psychiatric team blinded to anesthetic.
Ketamine ~1.0 mg/kg as anesthetic prior to ECT (up to six treatments).
Given prior to each ECT session; up to six treatments.
Methohexital ~1.0 mg/kg as anesthetic prior to ECT.
Methohexital ~1.0 mg/kg (active comparator).