At-home, telehealth-supported ketamine treatment for depression: Findings from longitudinal, machine learning and symptom network analysis of real-world data.
Depression
Ketamine
Machine learning
Network analysis
Psychedelic
Telehealth
Journal
Journal of affective disorders
ISSN: 1573-2517
Titre abrégé: J Affect Disord
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 7906073
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
27 May 2024
27 May 2024
Historique:
received:
22
01
2024
revised:
30
04
2024
accepted:
25
05
2024
medline:
30
5
2024
pubmed:
30
5
2024
entrez:
29
5
2024
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
Improving safe and effective access to ketamine therapy is of high priority given the growing burden of mental illness. Telehealth-supported administration of sublingual ketamine is being explored toward this goal. In this longitudinal study, moderately-to-severely depressed patients received four doses of ketamine at home over four weeks within a supportive digital health context. Treatment was structured to resemble methods of therapeutic psychedelic trials. Patients receiving a second course of treatment were also examined. Symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression. We conducted preregistered machine learning and symptom network analyses to investigate outcomes (osf.io/v2rpx). A sample of 11,441 patients was analyzed, demonstrating a modal antidepressant response from both non-severe (n = 6384, 55.8 %) and severe (n = 2070, 18.1 %) baseline depression levels. Adverse events were detected in 3.0-4.8 % of participants and predominantly neurologic or psychiatric in nature. A second course of treatment helped extend improvements in patients who responded favorably to initial treatment. Improvement was most strongly predicted by lower depression scores and age at baseline. Symptoms of Depressed mood and Anhedonia sustained depression despite ongoing treatment. This study was limited by the absence of comparison or control groups and lack of a fixed-dose procedure for ketamine administration. At-home, telehealth-supported ketamine administration was largely safe, well-tolerated, and associated with improvement in patients with depression. Strategies for combining psychedelic-oriented therapies with rigorous telehealth models, as explored here, may uniquely address barriers to mental health treatment.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Improving safe and effective access to ketamine therapy is of high priority given the growing burden of mental illness. Telehealth-supported administration of sublingual ketamine is being explored toward this goal.
METHODS
METHODS
In this longitudinal study, moderately-to-severely depressed patients received four doses of ketamine at home over four weeks within a supportive digital health context. Treatment was structured to resemble methods of therapeutic psychedelic trials. Patients receiving a second course of treatment were also examined. Symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression. We conducted preregistered machine learning and symptom network analyses to investigate outcomes (osf.io/v2rpx).
RESULTS
RESULTS
A sample of 11,441 patients was analyzed, demonstrating a modal antidepressant response from both non-severe (n = 6384, 55.8 %) and severe (n = 2070, 18.1 %) baseline depression levels. Adverse events were detected in 3.0-4.8 % of participants and predominantly neurologic or psychiatric in nature. A second course of treatment helped extend improvements in patients who responded favorably to initial treatment. Improvement was most strongly predicted by lower depression scores and age at baseline. Symptoms of Depressed mood and Anhedonia sustained depression despite ongoing treatment.
LIMITATIONS
CONCLUSIONS
This study was limited by the absence of comparison or control groups and lack of a fixed-dose procedure for ketamine administration.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
At-home, telehealth-supported ketamine administration was largely safe, well-tolerated, and associated with improvement in patients with depression. Strategies for combining psychedelic-oriented therapies with rigorous telehealth models, as explored here, may uniquely address barriers to mental health treatment.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38810787
pii: S0165-0327(24)00875-9
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.131
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest David S. Mathai and Matteo Malgaroli have no relevant commercial or financial relationships to disclose. Thomas D. Hull received minor consulting fees from Mindbloom. Leonardo Vando is an employee of Mindbloom. Data for this research were provided by the online medical service, which had no involvement in the study design or formal analysis for this manuscript.