In a new study, researchers found that ketamine infusions failed to beat an active placebo as an adjunctive therapy for patients hospitalized with depression. The KARMA-Dep 2 study compared ketamine infusions to midazolam, an “active placebo” that mimics ketamine’s sedative effects.
There was no statistically significant difference between groups on measures ranging from depression severity (measured with two different assessments, the MADRS and the QIDS), to cognition, to quality of life.
“The KARMA-Dep 2 trial did not find evidence that serial ketamine infusions were superior to an active comparator for inpatients with moderate to severe depression,” the researchers write.
The study was led by Ana Jelovac at Trinity College Dublin and published in JAMA Psychiatry.
You've landed on a MIA journalism article that is funded by MIA supporters. To read the full article, sign up as a MIA Supporter. All active donors get full access to all MIA content, and free passes to all Mad in America events.
Current MIA supporters can log in below.(If you can't afford to support MIA in this way, email us at [email protected] and we will provide you with access to all donor-supported content.)
