The Effects of Ketamine and Esketamine on Measures of Quality of Life in Major Depressive Disorder and Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Systematic Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to systematically review studies evaluating the effect of ketamine and esketamine on quality of life (QoL) measures in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) or treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
Results Summary
The study found statistically significant improvements in QoL measures (p < 0.001) with ketamine and esketamine treatment in adults with MDD or TRD, though the included studies had moderate risk of bias and heterogeneity in QoL scales and study durations.
Population
Adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) or treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ketamine and esketamine | increase | clinician- and patient-reported depression measures | persons diagnosed with MDD or TRD | - | well-established in major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) as evidenced by improvement | #1 |
ketamine and esketamine | increase | measures of QoL | persons with MDD or TRD | p < 0.001 | improve measures of QoL | #2 |
ketamine and esketamine treatment | increase | QoL measures | adults with MDD or TRD | - | associated with improvement in QoL measures | #3 |
INTRODUCTION: The rapid and clinically meaningful antidepressant effects of ketamine and esketamine are well-established in major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) as evidenced by improvement in clinician- and patient-reported depression measures. However, there remains a need to determine how these agents affect patient-reported quality of life (QoL). Herein, we aimed to systematically review extant studies evaluating the effect of ketamine and esketamine on QoL measures. METHODS: A literature search was conducted on online databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, and clinicaltrials.gov) for articles from inception to September 30th, 2024, reporting on the association between ketamine/esketamine and measures of QoL in persons diagnosed with MDD or TRD. A risk of bias assessment was conducted using the ROBINS-1 tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: Five studies were identified that investigated the association between ketamine/esketamine and measures of QoL in persons with MDD or TRD. Scales used to measure QoL included the WHOQOL-BREF scale, Assessment of Quality of Life 8D test, and the EuroQol-5 Dimension-5 Layers. Statistically significant findings (p < 0.001) suggest that ketamine and esketamine improve measures of QoL in persons with MDD or TRD. However, an overall moderate risk of bias was observed in the papers included in this analysis. DISCUSSION: Extant studies suggest that ketamine and esketamine treatment are associated with improvement in QoL measures in adults with MDD or TRD. Limitations of this study include hetergeneity in the types of QoL scales as well as study study duration among the studies included. Near-term research priorities should endeavour to investigate the effect of ketamine and esketamine on specific domains of QoL, respectively.