SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition, Psychology and Brain Health
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1616859
This article is part of the Research TopicNutrition and Mood DisordersView all 11 articles
Appetite Measures as Correlates of Clinical Response in Mood Disorders Treated with Ketamine -systematic review
Provisionally accepted
Jakub Słupski*
Agnieszka Mechlińska
Adam Włodarczyk
Aleksander KwaśnyJoanna SzarmachAnita Słupska
Wiesław Jerzy Cubała- Medical University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
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Mood disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BP), significantly impact global health, with MDD affecting over 300 million people and BP affecting approximately 2% of the world's population. Ketamine, originally an anesthetic, has emerged as a promising treatment for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), due to its unique pharmacological properties, such as N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonism and anti-inflammatory effects. The potential of ketamine in treating depression has sparked debate regarding its effects on appetite. This paper aims to conduct a systematic review focusing on the complex interplay between ketamine treatment and appetite.A total of 78 references were identified from electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, APA PsycINFO, and EBSCOhost, with 5 meeting the inclusion criteria for this review, encompassing 678 participants. Appetite was assessed using both clinician-rated and selfreported scales. Two studies reported significant improvement in reduced appetite following ketamine or esketamine treatment; one reported no significant change; one found a paradoxical worsening of reduced appetite; and one noted minimal effect on increased appetite and atypical symptomsThe data presented suggest that in patients with treatment-resistant mood disorders, ketamine may contribute to the improvement of depressive symptoms, including those related to appetite, or may exhibit neutral effects on food consumption desire. Appetite measurement may be a valuable indicator of the antidepressant effect, facilitating signal detection for substances beyond traditional monoaminergic antidepressants. Despite limited data, establishing a confirmed link between appetite and antidepressants could aid in treatment planning, particularly for patients with metabolic disorders or those at risk of malnutrition, potentially improving adherence and outcomes in treatment-resistant mood disorders.
Keywords: Depression, TRD, Appetite, Ketamine, Mood Disorders, Antidepressants
Received: 23 Apr 2025; Accepted: 08 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Słupski, Mechlińska, Włodarczyk, Kwaśny, Szarmach, Słupska and Cubała. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jakub Słupski, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
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