Key Takeaways
Ketamine isn’t effective in treating depression, new clinical trial results indicate
Ketamine did not provide any extra benefit among people with depression
The placebo effect might explain why ketamine has shown promise in other studies, researchers say
kAm%&t$sp*[ ~4E] ag[ a_ad Ww62=E9s2J }6HDX — z6E2>:?6 >:89E ?@E 36 67764E:G6 :? EC62E:?8 56AC6DD:@?[ ?6H 4=:?:42= EC:2= C6DF=ED C6G62=]k^Am
kAmz6E2>:?6 :?7FD:@?D 25565 E@ DE2?52C5 56AC6DD:@? 42C6 5:5 ?@E9:?8 7@C A6@A=6 9@DA:E2=:K65 H:E9 E96 >@@5 5:D@C56C[ C6D62C496CD C6A@CE65 ~4E] aa :? k6>mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^;2>2?6EH@C<]4@>^;@FC?2=D^;2>2ADJ49:2ECJ^7F==2CE:4=6^agc_ddan8F6DEp446DDz6Jlfaffhaeg\7a3d\c52a\habe\4_5ddd_5dch6U2>AjFE>0D@FC46l7@C0E960>65:2U2>AjFE>0>65:F>lC676CC2=U2>AjFE>042>A2:8?l7E>0=:?<DU2>AjFE>04@?E6?ElE7=U2>AjFE>0E6C>l`_aaadQmyp|p !DJ49:2ECJk^2mk^6>m]k^Am
kAm“~FC :?:E:2= 9JA@E96D:D H2D E92E C6A62E65 <6E2>:?6 :?7FD:@?D 7@C A6@A=6 9@DA:E2=:K65 H:E9 56AC6DD:@? H@F=5 :>AC@G6 >@@5 @FE4@>6D] w@H6G6C[ H6 7@F?5 E9:D ?@E E@ 36 E96 42D6[” D6?:@C C6D62C496C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E45]:6^C6D62C49^AC@7:=6D^nAC@7:=6l|r{~&vstQms64=2? |4{@F89=:?k^2m[ 2 C6D62C49 AC@76DD@C @7 ADJ49:2ECJ 2E %C:?:EJ r@==686 sF3=:?[ D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6]k^Am
kAmt2C=:6C DEF5:6D E92E 7@F?5 <6E2>:?6 67764E:G6 :? EC62E:?8 56AC6DD:@? >:89E 92G6 366? 7=2H65[ :? E92E A2E:6?ED >:89E 92G6 8F6DD65 E96J H6C6 86EE:?8 E96 5CF8 2?5 6IA6C:6?465 :>AC@G6>6?E 5F6 E@ 2 A=2463@ 67764E[ C6D62C496CD D2:5] %9:D EC:2= 2=D@ 7@F?5 >2?J A2E:6?ED H6C6 23=6 E@ 8F6DD H9:49 EC62E>6?E E96J H6C6 86EE:?8]k^Am
kAm“~FC EC:2= 9:89=:89ED E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 C6A@CE:?8 E96 DF446DD[ @C =24< E96C6@7[ @7 3=:?5:?8 :? 4=:?:42= EC:2=D[ 6DA64:2==J :? 4=:?:42= EC:2=D @7 E96C2A:6D H96C6 >2:?E2:?:?8 E96 3=:?5 :D 5:77:4F=E[ 6]8] <6E2>:?6[ ADJ49656=:4D[ 3C2:? DE:>F=2E:@? E96C2A:6D[” =625 C6D62C496C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]C6D62C4982E6]?6E^D4:6?E:7:4\4@?EC:3FE:@?D^p?2\y6=@G24\a_`aacb`fdQmp?2 y6=@G24k^2m @7 %C:?:EJ r@==686 sF3=:? D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6]k^Am
kAm“$F49 AC@3=6>D 42? =625 E@ 6?92?465 A=2463@ 67764ED 2?5 D<6H65 EC:2= C6DF=ED E92E 42? @G6C\:?7=2E6 C62= EC62E>6?E 67764ED[” y6=@G24 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp3@FE b_T @7 A6@A=6 H:E9 56AC6DD:@? 5@?’E C6DA@?5 H6== E@ 4@?G6?E:@?2= 2?E:56AC6DD2?ED E92E E2C86E 3C2:? 496>:42=D =:<6 D6C@E@?:?[ 5@A2>:?6 2?5 25C6?2=:?6[ C6D62C496CD D2:5 :? 324<8C@F?5 ?@E6D]k^Am
kAm%92E’D H9J DF49 9@A6 92D 366? A=2465 @? <6E2>:?6[ H9:49 :D :?4C62D:?8=J 36:?8 FD65 2D 2? @77\=236= EC62E>6?E 7@C 56AC6DD:@?[ C6D62C496CD D2:5]k^Am
kAmp ?2D2= DAC2J G6CD:@? @7 <6E2>:?6 42==65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]5CF8D]4@>^DAC2G2E@]9E>=Qm$AC2G2E@k^2m H2D 6G6? 2AAC@G65 :? a_`h 3J E96 &]$] u@@5 2?5 sCF8 p5>:?:DEC2E:@? 7@C 92C5\E@\EC62E 56AC6DD:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]962=E9]92CG2C5]65F^3=@8^<6E2>:?6\7@C\EC62E>6?E\C6D:DE2?E\56AC6DD:@?\H96?\2?5\H96C6\:D\:E\D276\a_aa_g_hafhfQmw2CG2C5 |65:42= $49@@=k^2m]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 ?6H EC:2=[ >@C6 E92? e_ A6@A=6 H:E9 56AC6DD:@? H6C6 C2?5@>=J 2DD:8?65 E@ C646:G6 FA E@ 6:89E EH:46\H66<=J x' :?7FD:@?D @7 6:E96C <6E2>:?6 @C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]5CF8D]4@>^>E>^>:52K@=2>]9E>=Qm>:52K@=2>k^2m[ 2 36?K@5:2K6A:?6]k^Am
kAm|:52K@=2> AC@5F46D D652E:@? 2?5 ADJ49@24E:G6 67764ED[ D@ C6D62C496CD 92G6 FD65 :E 2D E96 A=2463@ 2=E6C?2E:G6 :? <6E2>:?6 EC:2=D] %92E H2J[ A2E:6?ED 2C6 =6DD =:<6=J E@ 8F6DD E96J 92G6?’E 8@EE6? <6E2>:?6[ D@ E96 E9:?<:?8 8@6D]k^Am
kAm#6DF=ED D9@H65 ?@ D:8?:7:42?E 5:776C6?46 :? 56AC6DD:@? DJ>AE@>D 36EH66? E96 <6E2>:?6 2?5 >:52K@=2> 8C@FAD 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 7@FC H66<D @7 EC62E>6?E]k^Am
kAm}@ 5:776C6?46D H6C6 7@F?5 36EH66? E96 8C@FAD :? @E96C >62DFC6D DF49 2D 4@8?:E:G6 7F?4E:@?[ 7:?2?46D @C BF2=:EJ @7 =:76]k^Am
kAm“&?56C C:8@C@FD 4=:?:42= EC:2= 4@?5:E:@?D[ 25;F?4E:G6 <6E2>:?6 AC@G:565 ?@ 255:E:@?2= 36?67:E E@ C@FE:?6 :?A2E:6?E 42C6 5FC:?8 E96 :?:E:2= EC62E>6?E A92D6 @C E96 D:I\>@?E9 7@==@H\FA A6C:@5[” |4{@F89=:? D2:5] “!C6G:@FD 6DE:>2E6D @7 <6E2>:?6’D 2?E:56AC6DD2?E 677:424J >2J 92G6 366? @G6CDE2E65[ 9:89=:89E:?8 E96 ?665 7@C C642=:3C2E65 6IA64E2E:@?D :? 4=:?:42= AC24E:46]”k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ >@DE @7 E96 A2E:6?ED H6C6 23=6 E@ DF446DD7F==J 8F6DD H96E96C E96J’5 8@EE6? <6E2>:?6 @C >:52K@=2>[ C6D62C496CD ?@E65] q6EH66? fgT E@ gdT @7 <6E2>:?6 A2E:6?ED <?6H E96J’5 8@EE6? E96 2?6DE96E:4[ H9:=6 ceT E@ eaT @7 >:52K@=2> A2E:6?ED 8F6DD65 4@CC64E=J]k^Am
kAm“(9:=6 >:52K@=2> H2D D6=64E65 E@ >:E:82E6 F?3=:?5:?8[ E9:D H2D ?@E DF446DD7F=[ C2:D:?8 E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ E92E 6G6? E96 D>2== @3D6CG65 67764E C67=64ED 6IA64E2?4J C2E96C E92? 2 DA64:7:4 EC62E>6?E 67764E[” C6D62C496CD HC@E6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmw2CG2C5 |65:42= $49@@= 92D >@C6 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]962=E9]92CG2C5]65F^3=@8^<6E2>:?6\7@C\EC62E>6?E\C6D:DE2?E\56AC6DD:@?\H96?\2?5\H96C6\:D\:E\D276\a_aa_g_hafhfQm<6E2>:?6 E96C2AJ 7@C 56AC6DD:@?k^2m]k^Am
kAm$~&#rt$i %C:?:EJ r@==686 sF3=:?[ ?6HD C6=62D6[ ~4E] aa[ a_adj k6>myp|p !DJ49:2ECJk^6>m[ ~4E] aa[ a_adk^Am
k9amkDEC@?8m(92E %9:D |62?D u@C *@Fk^DEC@?8mk^9am
kAm!6@A=6 :?E6C6DE65 :? <6E2>:?6 E96C2AJ 7@C 56AC6DD:@? D9@F=5 E2=< H:E9 E96:C 5@4E@C 23@FE E96 C:D<D 2?5 36?67:ED]k^Am
