Trial reportNeuropsychobiology2026
A Randomised Controlled Trial on the Efficacy of Ketamine versus Electroconvulsive Therapy in Severe Depression with Suicidal Ideation.
Trial report in Neuropsychobiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Psychoactive and Neurobiological Effects of Ketamine in Humans: A Scoping Review of Clinical Evidence.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
<p>Introduction: Severe depressive episodes with suicidal ideation present major therapeutic challenges and often require interventions beyond standard antidepressant therapy. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains a cornerstone treatment for refractory depression, while ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, has emerged as a rapid-acting antidepressant with potential benefits in reducing suicidal ideation. This study compares the efficacy, onset of action, and tolerability of intravenous ketamine and ECT as adjunctive treatments in severe major depressive disorder with active suicidal ideation.
methodsA randomised controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary care psychiatry department in India, enrolling 64 patients aged 18-60 years with severe depression (HAM-D ≥19, SSI ≥4). Participants were randomly assigned to receive either intravenous ketamine (n = 31) or ECT (n = 33), alongside ongoing oral antidepressants. Both groups underwent six treatment sessions over 2 weeks. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 4 weeks after completion. Primary endpoints included changes in depression severity (HAM-D) and suicidal ideation (SSI), while secondary outcomes included response and remission rates, as well as safety and tolerability profiles.
resultsBoth ECT and ketamine significantly reduced depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation (p < 0.001). HAM-D scores declined from 27 to 1 in the ECT group and from 26 to 2 in the ketamine group by the 4-week follow-up. SSI scores showed parallel improvement, from 12.1 to 1.2 with ECT and 12.6 to 2.0 with ketamine. Ketamine demonstrated a faster onset of clinical improvement, while ECT showed slightly greater durability of response. Side effects were mild in both groups, though ECT was associated with transient cognitive impairment, whereas ketamine produced minor dissociative and urinary symptoms.
conclusionKetamine offers a faster reduction in suicidal ideation than ECT, making it a promising acute intervention. Both are effective, safe adjunctive therapies, with treatment choice guided by patient profile and tolerability. </p>.
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