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. 2015 Sep;9(3):e1578.
doi: 10.17795/ijpbs-1578. Epub 2015 Sep 23.

Antidepressant Effect of Combined Ketamine and Electroconvulsive Therapy on Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Trial

Narges Shams Alizadeh  1 , Azad Maroufi  2 , Karim Nasseri  3 , Seyed Hosein Sadeghi Najafabadi  2 , Ali Mousavi Taghiabad  2 , Fardin Gharibi  4 , Gholam Reza Esfandiari  2
Affiliations

Antidepressant Effect of Combined Ketamine and Electroconvulsive Therapy on Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Trial

Narges Shams Alizadeh et al. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci. 2015 Sep.

Abstract

Background: One of the shortcomings of the available treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) is the time delay between starting the treatment and achieving an antidepressant response.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the effect of Ketamine as a synergistic antidepressant and anesthetic agent on MDD in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Patients and methods: Twenty-two patients with MDD received Ketamine and Propofol as anesthetic agents compared with 20 patients as the control group who received Propofol in a double-blind randomized clinical trial. The Hamilton rating scale for depression was used to determine the changes in symptoms severity during ECT and a 2-week follow-up.

Results: Both groups showed a reduction in depression severity, but there was no significant difference between the groups in the recovery process (P = 0.92). However, the cognitive performance recovery time in the Ketamine group was lower than that in the control group (P = 0.042).

Conclusions: This study could not show the effect of Ketamine on depression recovery in a 2-week follow-up period. Nevertheless, Ketamine may provide a better cognitive performance in patients under ECT.

Keywords: Antidepressants; Electroconvulsive Therapy; Ketamine.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Consort Diagram, Showing the Recruitment and Progress of the Trial Participants
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Comparison of the Mean Cognitive Performance Recovery Time (Minute) Between the Ketamine and Control Groups
T, ECT Session.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Comparison of the Mean Hamilton Score Variation Between the Ketamine and Control Groups During the Treatment
T1, one day before ECT onset; T2, A day after the third session; T3, A day after the last session; T4, Two weeks after the last session.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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