The effect of intravenous ketamine on cognitive functions in adults with treatment-resistant major depressive or bipolar disorders: Results from the Canadian rapid treatment center of excellence (CRTCE)

Psychiatry Res. 2021 Aug:302:113993. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113993. Epub 2021 May 13.

Abstract

Ketamine may exert pro-cognitive effects on select measures of cognition in adults with mood disorders. We evaluated the effectiveness of intravenous (IV) ketamine on cognition in 68 adult outpatients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) at the Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence between July 3, 2018 and April 16, 2020 (NCT04209296). Eligibility criteria for the present retrospective study included: primary diagnosis of major depressive or bipolar disorder; currently depressed; and insufficient response to two or more prior treatments. Participants received four infusions of ketamine hydrochloride (0.5-0.75 mg/kg) over 1-2 weeks. We assessed objective and subjective measures of cognition before and after two infusions, i.e., Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Trail Making Test-B (TMT-B), Patient Deficits Questionnaire, 5-item (PDQ-5-D). Ketamine significantly improved DSST (effect size [ES]=0.60), TMT-B (ES=0.84), as well as PDQ-5-D scores (ES=0.63), indicative of a moderate-to-large effect size. Improvements in DSST and PDQ-5-D with ketamine were mediated by reductions in depressive symptoms, whereas improvements in TMT-B were independent of changes in depressive symptoms. Our results support the independent, rapid-onset, pro-cognitive effects with IV ketamine in adults with TRD. Larger, randomized, controlled trials with ketamine wherein cognition is the primary outcome measure in mood and non-mood disorder samples are warranted.

Keywords: Bipolar disorder; Cognition; Depression; Disorders; Esketamine; Ketamine; Mood.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bipolar Disorder* / drug therapy
  • Canada
  • Cognition
  • Depressive Disorder, Major* / drug therapy
  • Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant* / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Infusions, Intravenous
  • Ketamine* / therapeutic use
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Ketamine

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04209296