This observational trial (n=100) will study the metabolic effects of esketamine (administered nasally) in patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD) and healthy controls, using an untargeted metabolomic approach.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common and often treatment-resistant; this prospective observational study will enrol ~50 patients with TRD and ~50 healthy controls to profile metabolomic changes associated with esketamine treatment.
Using untargeted metabolomics, the study aims to identify biochemical pathway changes related to diagnosis and to esketamine's mechanism of action, and to associate metabolic changes with improvements in depressive symptom domains and severity.
Patients receive intranasal esketamine as part of treatment; healthy controls provide comparison samples without intervention.
Patients receiving esketamine (nasal)
nasal administration; dose per clinical care
No intervention