SynthesisExpert opinion on drug safety2022
Efficacy and safety of racemic ketamine and esketamine for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Expert opinion on drug safety, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 5 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
30 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 58 citations in OpenAlex.
- Intraoperative Esketamine to Reduce Postoperative Pain and Opioid Consumption in Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Obesity surgery · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of esketamine on major depression, postpartum depression and perioperative depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of ketamine and esketamine for unipolar and bipolar depression: an overview of systematic reviews with meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy and acceptability of psilocybin for primary or secondary depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy and Safety of Four Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies for Adults with Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of psychoactive drugsPooled it
- Modulation of early non-rapid eye movement slow wave activity by ketamine in treatment-resistant depression.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Trial
- Short-Term and Late-Term Effects of Psilocybin on Symptoms in Major Depression: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2026Trial
- Esketamine as an opioid-sparing adjuvant for epidural labour analgesia: a randomised, double-blind trial evaluating postpartum depression.BMC anesthesiology · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Patient perspectives and experiences with psilocybin treatment for treatment-resistant depression: a qualitative study.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Ketamine for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder: Double-blind active-controlled crossover study.Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) · 2024Trial
- Treatment-resistant Depression in the Post-ketamine Era: Unmet Needs beyond Rapid Response.Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Review
- Ketamine for Depression in Serious Illness: Evidence, Safety, and Practical Approaches.Journal of pain and symptom management · 2026Review
- Review
- Subanesthetic doses of ketamine to rats and monkeys rapidly increases radioligand binding in brain to phosphodiesterase-4, an indirect marker of cAMP.Translational psychiatry · 2026Article
- Lower synaptic density in mood circuitry underlies depression in Parkinson's disease.Brain communications · 2026Article
- Optimizing ketamine dosing strategies across diverse clinical applications: a comprehensive review.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2025Review
- Ketamine in clinical practice: transitioning from anesthetic agent to psychiatric therapeutic.CNS spectrums · 2025Review
- Subcutaneous Lidocaine Infusion for Chronic Widespread Pain: A Chart Review and Survey Examining the Safety and Tolerability of Treatment.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- The Impact of Esketamine on Depression: Targeting Oxidative Stress and Neuronal Apoptosis Through BDNF/TrkB/PI3K/AKT Pathway Activation.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundRacemic ketamine and esketamine have demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects. We aimed to review the efficacy and safety of racemic and esketamine for depression. RESEARCH DESIGN AND
methodsWe conducted a PRISMA-guided review for relevant randomized controlled trials of racemic or esketamine for unipolar or bipolar major depression from database inception through 2021. We conducted random-effects meta-analyses using pooled rate ratios (RRs) and Cohen's standardized mean differences (d) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI).
resultsWe found 36 studies (2903 participants, 57% female, 45.1 +/- 7.0 years). Nine trials used esketamine, while the rest used racemic ketamine. The overall study quality was high. Treatment with any form of ketamine was associated with improved response (RR=2.14; 95% CI, 1.72-2.66; I2=65%), remission (RR=1.64; 95% CI, 1.33-2.02; I2=39%), and depression severity (d=-0.63; 95% CI, -0.80 to -0.45; I2=78%) against placebo. Overall, there was no association between treatment with any form of ketamine and retention in treatment (RR=1.00; 95% CI, 0.99-1.01; I2<1%), dropouts due to adverse events (RR=1.56; 95% CI, 1.00-2.45; I2<1%), or the overall number of adverse events reported per participant (OR=2.14; 95% CI, 0.82-5.60; I2=62%) against placebo.
conclusionsKetamine and esketamine are effective, safe, and acceptable treatments for individuals living with depression.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.