Right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex volumetric reduction is associated with antidepressant effect of low-dose ketamine infusion: A randomized, double-blind, midazolam-controlled PET-MRI clinical trial.

Background: Evidence has shown a rapid antidepressant and antisuicidal effects of low-dose ketamine infusion among patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and prominent suicidal ideation (SI). The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) plays a crucial role in the TRD pathomechanisms.
Objective: Whether the structural and functional changes of the DLPFC, particularly Brodmann area 46, are associated with the antidepressant and antisuicidal effects of ketamine infusion among such patients is unknown.
Methods: We randomized 48 patients with TRD and SI into groups receiving a single infusion of 0.5 mg/kg ketamine or 0.045 mg/kg midazolam. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale were used to assess symptoms. Positron emission tomography (PET)-magnetic resonance imaging was conducted prior to infusion and on Day 3 postinfusion. We performed longitudinal voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis to evaluate the gray matter (GM) volume changes of the DLPFC. The standardized uptake value ratio (SUVr) of ¹⁸ F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET images was calculated using the SUV of the cerebellum as a reference region.
Results: The VBM analysis revealed a small but significant volumetric reduction in the right DLPFC in the ketamine group compared with that in the midazolam group. A greater reduction in depressive symptoms was associated with a smaller decrease in right DLPFC volumes (p = 0.025). However, we found no SUVr changes of the DLPFC between baseline and post-Day 3 ketamine infusion.
Discussion: The optimal modulation of the right DLPFC GM volumes may play an essential role in the antidepressant neuromechanisms of low-dose ketamine.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors in this study had any conflict of interest to declare.
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