Weigand A, Gärtner M, Scheidegger M, Wyss PO, Henning A, Seifritz E, Stippl A, Herrera-Melendez A, Bajbouj M, Aust S, Grimm S. Predicting Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine: the Role of the Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex as a Multimodal Neuroimaging Biomarker.
Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2022;
25:1003-1013. [PMID:
35948274 PMCID:
PMC9743970 DOI:
10.1093/ijnp/pyac049]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Growing evidence underscores the utility of ketamine as an effective and rapid-acting treatment option for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, clinical outcomes vary between patients. Predicting successful response may enable personalized treatment decisions and increase clinical efficacy.
METHODS
We here explored the potential of pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) activity to predict antidepressant effects of ketamine in relation to ketamine-induced changes in glutamatergic metabolism. Prior to a single i.v. infusion of ketamine, 24 patients with MDD underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during an emotional picture-viewing task and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Changes in depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory measured 24 hours pre- and post-intervention. A subsample of 17 patients underwent a follow-up magnetic resonance spectroscopy scan.
RESULTS
Antidepressant efficacy of ketamine was predicted by pgACC activity during emotional stimulation. In addition, pgACC activity was associated with glutamate increase 24 hours after the ketamine infusion, which was in turn related to better clinical outcome.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results add to the growing literature implicating a key role of the pgACC in mediating antidepressant effects and highlighting its potential as a multimodal neuroimaging biomarker of early treatment response to ketamine.
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