. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 May 1.

Published in final edited form as: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2015 Feb 27;1344(1):66–77. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12718

Table 1.

Selected randomized controlled studies examining the rapid antidepressant effect of ketamine

Study	Subjects	Treatment	ADE 4h-3d	ADE 7d	Response rate	Additional findings
Abdallah et al.⁷⁹	N6-MDD, N2-BD, MF	Thiopental 3.5 mg/kg + ECT 3×/week for 2 weeks	NO	—	13% at 1–3 days	ADE in both groups after 6th ECT; ECT and/or thiopental appears to attenuate the rapid ADE of ketamine.
Abdallah et al.⁷⁹	N6-MDD, N2-BD, MF	Ketamine^a 0.5 mg/kg + Thiopental 3.5 mg/kg + ECT 3×/week for 2 weeks	NO	—	0% at 1–3 days
Berman et al.⁹	N8-MDD, N1-BD, MF	Placebo	NO	—	12% at 3 days
Berman et al.⁹	N8-MDD, N1-BD, MF	Ketamine^b0.5 mg/kg	YES	—	50% at 3 days
Diazgrandos et al.¹⁴	N18-BD	Placebo	NO	NO	6% at 1 day	Significant ADE at 40 min
Diazgrandos et al.¹⁴	N18-BD	Ketamine^b0.5 mg/kg	YES	NO	71% at 1 day	Significant ADE at 40 min
Ghasemi et al.⁸⁰	N9-MDD	Ketamine^b0.5 mg/kg 1×/2 days for 6 days	YES	NO	42% at 1 day; 7% at 7 days	Response rates are following the last infusion.
Ghasemi et al.⁸⁰	N9-MDD	ECT 1×/2 days for 6 days	NO	YES	12% at 1 day; 25% at 7 days	Response rates are following the last infusion.
Kudoh et al.⁸¹	N35-MDD	Propofol 1.5 mg/kg + Fentanyl 2 μg/kg	NO	—	—	Lower pain scores among ketamine group
Kudoh et al.⁸¹	N35-MDD	Ketamine^a 1.0 mg/kg + Propofol 1.5 mg/kg + Fentanyl 2 μg/kg	YES	—	—	Lower pain scores among ketamine group
Lapidus et al.²³	N18-MDD	Placebo	NO	—	6% at 1 day	Significant improvement of anxiety symptoms @ 1 day; dose equivalent to 0.15–0.34 mg/kg intravenous ketamine
Lapidus et al.²³	N18-MDD	Ketamine^c 50mg	YES	—	44% at 1 day
Murrough et al.¹¹	N47-MDD	Ketamine^b0.5 mg/kg	YES	YES	64% at 1 day; 45% at 7 days
Murrough et al.¹¹	N25-MDD	Midazolam 0.045 mg/kg	YES	YES	28% at 1 days 16% at 7 days
Valentine et al.⁷³	N10-MDD, MF	Placebo	NO	NO	—	¹H-MRS: Occipital amino acid levels did not correlate with ADE.
Valentine et al.⁷³	N10-MDD, MF	Ketamine^b 0.5 mg/kg	YES	YES	—
Zarate et al.¹⁰	N15-MDD, MF	Placebo	NO	NO	0% at 1 day; 0% at 7 days	Depressed mood, guilt, work, interests, and psychic anxiety improved significantly among treatment group.
Zarate et al.¹⁰	N15-MDD, MF	Ketamine^b 0.5 mg/kg	YES	YES	64% at 4 h; 71% at 1 day; 35% at 7 days
Zarate et al.⁸²	N15-BD	Placebo	NO	NO	—	Significant ADE at 40 min; decreased suicidal ideations
Zarate et al.⁸²	N15-BD	Ketamine^b 0.5 mg/kg	YES	NO	64% at 40 min; 50% at 4 h; 43% at 1 day	Significant ADE at 40 min; decreased suicidal ideations

intravenous ketamine bolus.

intravenous ketamine infusion over 40 minutes.

intranasal ketamine.

—, not reported.

Abbreviations: ADE, antidepressant effect; N, number of subjects; MDD, major depressive disorder; BD, bipolar disorder; MF, medication free; ¹H-MRS, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, ECT: electroconvulsive therapy.