SynthesisJournal of affective disorders2023
Efficacy and adverse effects of ketamine versus electroconvulsive therapy for major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of affective disorders, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 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
5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Ketamine Versus Electroconvulsive Therapy in Major Depressive Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.The Psychiatric quarterly · 2026Pooled it
- Time matters for metas: a systematic review and meta-analysis of ect vs ketamine for depression incorporating time.Translational psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Genetic and molecular basis of abnormal BOLD signaling variability in patients with major depressive disorder after electroconvulsive therapy.Translational psychiatry · 2025Article
- Rapid treatment center for depression in China: constructive reflections and transnational implications.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Review
- Comparative Efficacy of Intravenous Ketamine and Tramadol in Reducing Postspinal Anesthesia Shivering in Urological Surgeries: A Triple-blind Randomized Clinical Trial.Journal of research in pharmacy practiceArticle
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundECT is considered the fastest and most effective treatment for TRD. Ketamine seems to be an attractive alternative due to its rapid-onset antidepressant effects and impact on suicidal thoughts. This study aimed to compare efficacy and tolerability of ECT and ketamine for different depression outcomes (PROSPERO/CRD42022349220).
methodsWe searched MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and trial registries, which were the ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, without restrictions on publication date. SELECTION CRITERIA: randomized controlled trials or cohorts comparing ketamine versus ECT in patients with TRD.
resultsEight studies met the inclusion criteria (of 2875 retrieved). Random-effects models comparing ketamine and ECT regarding the following outcomes were conducted: a) reduction of depressive symptoms severity through scales, g = -0.12, p = 0.68; b) response to therapy, RR = 0.89, p = 0.51; c) reported side-effects: dissociative symptoms, RR = 5.41, p = 0.06; nausea, RR = 0.73, p = 0.47; muscle pain, RR = 0.25, p = 0.02; and headache, RR = 0.39, p = 0.08. Influential & subgroup analyses were performed. LIMITATIONS: Methodological issues with high risk of bias in some of the source material, reduced number of eligible studies with high in-between heterogeneity and small sample sizes.
conclusionOur study showed no evidence to support the superiority of ketamine over ECT for severity of depressive symptoms and response to therapy. Regarding side effects, there was a statistically significant decreased risk of muscle pain in patients treated with ketamine compared to ECT.
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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 Socratic graph.