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Updated: Feb 22, 2026
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Vagus Nerve Stimulation As an Adjunctive Neurostimulation Tool in Treatment-resistant Depression
Published on: January 7, 2019
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Esketamine: A Possible Adjunctive Therapy for Treatment Resistant Depression.
Annie Huang1, Jennifer L Fernandez Vasquez1, Catherine A Yeager1
1From the DD Eisenhower Army Medical Center Family Medicine Residency, Augusta, GA (AH, JLFV, CAY).
Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM
|February 20, 2026
Summary
Augmenting treatment-resistant depression therapy with esketamine shows higher remission rates than quetiapine. Esketamine offers a more effective option for patients with difficult-to-treat depression.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) poses a significant clinical challenge.
- Current therapeutic options for TRD have limitations in efficacy and side effect profiles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of esketamine augmentation versus quetiapine augmentation in patients with treatment-resistant depression.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study evaluating the remission rates of patients with TRD.
- Patients received either esketamine or quetiapine as an augmentation to their existing medication regimen.
Main Results:
- Augmentation with esketamine demonstrated significantly greater rates of remission compared to quetiapine.
- This suggests a superior clinical outcome for esketamine in this patient population.
Conclusions:
- Esketamine augmentation is a more effective strategy for achieving remission in treatment-resistant depression than quetiapine.
- These findings support the consideration of esketamine for patients with refractory depression.
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