Clinical Trial

. 2020 Apr:123:1-8.

doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.01.002. Epub 2020 Jan 16.

Antidepressant and neurocognitive effects of serial ketamine administration versus ECT in depressed patients

Laura Basso¹, Luisa Bönke², Sabine Aust³, Matti Gärtner³, Isabella Heuser-Collier³, Christian Otte³, Katja Wingenfeld³, Malek Bajbouj³, Simone Grimm⁴

Affiliations

¹ Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
² Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: luisa.boenke@charite.de.
³ Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
⁴ Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Calandrellistr. 1-9, 12247, Berlin, Germany.

PMID: 31981856
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.01.002

Clinical Trial

Antidepressant and neurocognitive effects of serial ketamine administration versus ECT in depressed patients

Laura Basso et al. J Psychiatr Res. 2020 Apr.

. 2020 Apr:123:1-8.

doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.01.002. Epub 2020 Jan 16.

Authors

Laura Basso¹, Luisa Bönke², Sabine Aust³, Matti Gärtner³, Isabella Heuser-Collier³, Christian Otte³, Katja Wingenfeld³, Malek Bajbouj³, Simone Grimm⁴

Affiliations

¹ Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
² Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: luisa.boenke@charite.de.
³ Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
⁴ Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Calandrellistr. 1-9, 12247, Berlin, Germany.

PMID: 31981856
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.01.002

Erratum in

Corrigendum to "Antidepressant and neurocognitive effects of serial ketamine administration versus ECT in depressed patients" [J. Psychiatr. Res. 123 (2020) 1-8].
Basso L, Bönke L, Aust S, Gärtner M, Heuser-Collier I, Otte C, Wingenfeld K, Bajbouj M, Grimm S. Basso L, et al. J Psychiatr Res. 2020 May;124:143. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.03.001. J Psychiatr Res. 2020. PMID: 32155477 No abstract available.

Abstract

Background: While electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered the gold standard for acute treatment of patients with otherwise treatment-resistant depression, ketamine has recently emerged as a fast-acting treatment alternative for these patients. Efficacy and onset of action are currently among the main factors that influence clinical decision making, however, the effect of these treatments on cognitive functions should also be a crucial point, given that cognitive impairment in depression is strongly related to disease burden and functional recovery. ECT is known to induce transient cognitive impairment, while little is known about ketamine's impact on cognition. This study therefore aims to compare ECT and serial ketamine administration not only with regard to their antidepressant efficacy but also to acute neurocognitive effects.

Methods: Fifty patients suffering from depression were treated with either serial ketamine infusions or ECT. Depression severity and cognitive functions were assessed before, during, and after treatment.

Results: ECT and ketamine administration were equally effective, however, the antidepressant effects of ketamine occurred faster. Ketamine improved neurocognitive functioning, especially attention and executive functions, whereas ECT was related to a small overall decrease in cognitive performance.

Conclusions: Due to its pro-cognitive effects and faster antidepressant effect, serial ketamine administration might be a more favorable short-term treatment option than ECT.

Limitations: As this research employed a naturalistic study design, patients were not systematically randomized, there was no control group and patients received concurrent and partially changing medications during treatment.

Clinical trials registration: Functional and Metabolic Changes in the Course of Antidepressive Treatment, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02099630, NCT02099630.

Keywords: Depression; Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); Ketamine; Neurocognitive effects.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest Prof. Dr. Bajbouj was involved in a clinical trial by Johnson and Johnson investigating the antidepressant effects of ketamine. Prof. Dr. Otte has received honoraria from Lundbeck and Neuraxpharm. All other authors reported no biomedical, financial or potential conflicts of interest.

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Antidepressant and neurocognitive effects of serial ketamine administration versus ECT in depressed patients

Affiliations

Antidepressant and neurocognitive effects of serial ketamine administration versus ECT in depressed patients

Authors

Affiliations

Erratum in

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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Associated data

LinkOut - more resources

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Medical

Research Materials