Table 1.
Comparison of antidepressant and side effects of racemic ketamine, esketamine, and arketamine in humans and animals, according to [43].
| Antidepressant effects—animal studies |
| Antidepressant effects: arketamine > racemic ketamine and esketamine |
| Racemic ketamine, esketamine, and arketamine |
| Decrease in immobility time in the forced swim test (FST)/or tail suspension test TST |
| Increase in sucrose preference in the sucrose preference test (SPT) |
| Side effects—animal studies |
| Side effects: arketamine < racemic ketamine and esketamine |
| Racemic ketamine and esketamine |
| Hyperlocomotion |
| Psychomimetic effects |
| Rewarding effects |
| Abuse liability |
| Arketamine |
| Mild effects on locomotion |
| Cognitive process profile (CPP) scores, motor coordinator deficits, and prepulse inhibition (PPI) |
| No serious adverse events were reported |
| Antidepressant effects—humans |
| Racemic ketamine, esketamine, and arketamine |
| Reduced score on the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)/Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) |
| Ketamine therapy includes, among others, depression (even treatment-resistant), anxiety, suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), neuropathic pain, chronic pain, substance abuse and eating disorders; esketamine: treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder with acute suicidal ideation or behavior |
| Side effects—humans |
| Racemic ketamine and esketamine |
| Headache |
| Dizziness |
| Dissociation |
| Rewarding effects |
| Abuse liability |
| Cognitive dysfunction |
| Arketamine |
| No serious adverse events were reported |