Abstract: Perimenopausal depression refers to women's mood disorders developed before and after menopause. Many studies have suggested that the occurrence of perimenopausal depression is associated with the fluctuation of perimenopausal reproductive hormone, alterations of monoamine neurotransmitter levels during the period of menopausal. Although there are many traditional antidepressants, they often onset slow, limited efficacy, and a considerable proportion of patients after treatment, still have residual symptoms and persistent dysfunction. As a general anesthetic, ketamine can act as a fast and effective treatment for perimenopausal depression by antagonizing NMDA receptors, modulating monoamine neurotransmitters, increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor and activating mTOR pathway and other signaling pathways to exert anti-depressant effect.

Key words: Key Words: perimenopausal period, depression, ketamine, reproductive hormone, monoamine neurotransmitter