Ketamine in the Treatment of Depression
Randomised, placebo‑controlled, triple‑blind Phase II study (n=38) testing single IV ketamine doses (0.1–0.5 mg/kg) with MRI to measure glutamate and GABA in major depressive disorder; optional second 0.5 mg/kg infusion offered to non‑responders.
Details
Randomised, placebo-controlled, triple-blind parallel study in patients with major depressive disorder using single intravenous ketamine doses (0.1–0.5 mg/kg) with magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure glutamate and GABA before and during infusion.
Primary objective is dose-finding to relate ketamine-induced changes in Glu and GABA to antidepressant response; healthy control cohort received a single 0.5 mg/kg infusion and one MRI/infusion session for comparison.
Ketamine or saline was infused over 40 minutes with a 90-minute MRI scan during infusion; non-responders could be offered an optional second 0.5 mg/kg infusion and scan.