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‹ Wed · 8 Jul 2026
Novel or significantly improved treatment

Association between Intravenous Ketamine Treatment and Cognitive Function in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Intravenous ketamine for treatment-resistant depression shows no significant cognitive harm in a rigorous trial, supporting its safety profile in clinical practice.

This double-blind RCT directly addressed whether intravenous ketamine affects cognitive function in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) patients, a clinically important safety question given ketamine's dissociative properties. The trial provides controlled evidence on the cognitive safety profile of IV ketamine for TRD, informing clinical practice for this growing therapeutic indication.

What the study was

Study design
rct
Population
Adults with treatment-resistant depression
Category
Treatment Innovation
Maturity
Exploratory
Journal
Pharmacopsychiatry

Why it surfaced

First double-blind RCT specifically examining cognitive effects of IV ketamine in TRD—answers a critical safety/tolerability question for a rapidly expanding therapeutic use; TRD represents major unmet need; RCT design provides high-quality evidence captured in sentinel scan.

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