Trial reportBrain and behavior2020
Intraoperative ketamine for reduction in postpartum depressive symptoms after cesarean delivery: A double-blind, randomized clinical trial.
Trial report in Brain and behavior, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- Estimated preventive dose of racemic ketamine for shivering and pruritus prophylaxis in cesarean delivery: a Monte Carlo simulation guided network meta-analysis.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of ketamine and esketamine in reducing the incidence of postpartum depression: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of perioperative application of ketamine on postoperative depression: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.Molecular psychiatry · 2023Pooled it
- Prophylactic esketamine to reduce postpartum depression in primiparae: A multicentre, double-blind, randomised clinical trial.European journal of anaesthesiology · 2026Trial
- Brain functional network correlates and predictors of the perioperative antidepressant effect of esketamine in breast cancer patients: a double-blind randomized controlled trial using resting-state fMRI and graph theory.Translational psychiatry · 2026Trial
- Bolus versus Continuous Infusion of Esketamine for Prevention of Postpartum Depression After Caesarean Delivery: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial.Drug design, development and therapy · 2026Trial
- Intraoperative Esketamine and Postpartum Depression Among Women With Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Effect of intraoperative injection of esketamine on postoperative analgesia and postoperative rehabilitation after cesarean section.World journal of clinical cases · 2024Trial
- Efficacy of a single low dose of esketamine after childbirth for mothers with symptoms of prenatal depression: randomised clinical trial.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2024Trial
- Subanesthetic Dose of Esketamine Improves the Sedative and Analgesic Effects of Dexmedetomidine and Remifentanil in Liposuction Anesthesia: A Prospective, Double-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial.Drug design, development and therapy · 2024Trial
- Efficacy and Safety of Esketamine for Supplemental Analgesia During Elective Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2023Trial
- A randomized feasibility pilot-study of intravenous and subcutaneous administration of ketamine to prevent postpartum depression after planned cesarean delivery under neuraxial anesthesia.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Trial
- S-ketamine as an adjuvant in patient-controlled intravenous analgesia for preventing postpartum depression: a randomized controlled trial.BMC anesthesiology · 2022Trial
- Intraoperative ketamine for reduction in postpartum depressive symptoms after cesarean delivery: A double-blind, randomized clinical trial.Brain and behavior · 2020Trial
- Comparative Efficacy of Interventions for the Prevention and Treatment of Postpartum Depression: A Bayesian Network Meta-analysis.Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Review
- Effect of Perioperative Ketamine on Early Postpartum Depressive Symptoms Following Cesarean Section: A Meta-Analysis.Cureus · 2026Review
- The cognitive neuroscience of ketamine in major depression.Brain : a journal of neurology · 2025Review
- Peripartum Depression Pharmacotherapies Targeting GABA-Glutamate Neurotransmission.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPostpartum depression (PPD) is a common mental disease happens in perinatal period. Ketamine as an anesthesia and analgesia drug has been used for a long time. In recent years, ketamine is proved to have an antidepression effect with a single administration. We hypothesized that intraoperative ketamine can reduce postpartum depressive symptoms after cesarean delivery.
methodsIn a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study trail, healthy women scheduled for cesarean delivery were randomly assigned to receive intravenous ketamine (0.25 mg/kg diluted to 5 ml with 0.9% saline) or placebo (5 ml of 0.9% saline) within 5 min following clamping of the neonatal umbilical cord. The primary outcome was the degree of postpartum depressive symptoms, which was evaluated by Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS, a threshold of 9/10 was used) at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month after delivery. The secondary outcome was the numerical rating scale (NRS) score of pain at 2 days postpartum. This trail is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, number ChiCTR1900022464.
resultsBetween 26 January 2019 and 15 July 2019, 502 subjects were screened and 330 were randomly allocated: 165 (50%) to the ketamine group and 165 (50%) to the placebo group. There were significant differences in the degree of postpartum depressive symptoms between subjects in the ketamine group and the placebo group at 1 week postpartum (13.1% vs. 22.6%, respectively; p = .029). However, no difference was found between subjects in the two groups at 2 weeks (11.8% vs. 16.8%, respectively; p = .209) and 1 month postpartum (10.5% vs. 14.2%, respectively; p = .319). The NRS score of wound pain (3.0 ± 0.9 vs. 4.0 ± 1.0, respectively; p < .001) and uterine contraction pain (3.0 ± 0.9 vs. 4.1 ± 0.9, respectively; p < .001) was lower in the ketamine group at 2 days postpartum compared with placebo group. The prevalence of headache, hallucination, and dizziness was higher in the ketamine group than the placebo group during the operation.
conclusionsOperative intravenous ketamine (0.25 mg/kg) can reduce the postpartum depressive symptoms for 1 week. The long-time effect is remained to be seen.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.