Ketamine Clinical Trials

To explore whether intravenous ketamine followed by buprenorphine produces more rapid and sustained anti-suicidal effects than ketamine followed by placebo, investigators will conduct a single study that will take approximately 2.5 years to complete. 60 subjects (60 infusions) or approximately 24 infusions per year. Read Less

This study hypothesizes that the addition of a low-dose ketamine infusion to usual post-operative pain management will improve pain control as evidenced by an improvement in post-operative pain scores for patients undergoing spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis. Read Less

The goal of this randomized double blind three way (1:1:1) cross over clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness and duration of analgesia of a single infusion of (2R,6R)-HNK 0.5mg/kg compared with ketamine 0.5mg/kg and saline with a 5-week interval between treatments on pain, pain qualities, physical function, pain interference, sleep disturbance and quality of life in subjects with neuropathic pain of the extremities. The questions that this study will address are: 1. What is the analgesic efficacy of (2R,6R)-HNK on pain intensity and pain qualities in patients with chronic (\>3 month) neuropathic pain (NP). 2. What will be the effective duration of a single infusion of (2R,6R)-HNK in patients with NP. 3. Will (2R,6R)-HNK reduce pain related effects including interference in daily activities of life, sleep disturbances and change the qualities of pain reported by patients. Participants will receive each of the three study drugs in a random order at 5-week intervals over a 15 week period. The drug will be administered as a 45-minute infusion. Participants will complete quantitative sensory and pain evaluations and complete patient reported pain outcomes prior to receiving the first study drug and at 7, 14 and 21 and 35 days following study drug administration. Read Less

The objective of this study is to conduct a randomized clinical trial to evaluate an opioid versus an opioid-free pathway of perioperative use of ketamine, ketorolac, and IV acetaminophen followed by the postoperative use of ketorolac, and oral acetaminophen for pain associated with robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. Escalation to use of opioid treatment for the opioid-free constituents will be available if needed. Read Less

Pain is common in children presenting to the emergency department but is frequently undertreated, leading to both short- and long-term consequences. Morphine is the standard treatment for children with moderate to severe acute pain, but its use is associated with serious side effects and caregiver and clinician concerns related to opioid administration. The investigators aim to determine if sub-dissociative ketamine is non-inferior to morphine for treating acute pain and a preferable alternative for treating acute pain in children because of its more favorable side effect profile and potential long-term benefits related to pain-related function, analgesic use/misuse, and mental and behavioral health outcomes. Read Less

Background: Many people experience fatigue as a side effect of their illnesses and treatments. There are no medicines to treat fatigue, but a drug called ketamine has reduced fatigue in depressed people. Researchers hope that ketamine, compared to a drug called midazolam, can reduce fatigue in people with illnesses. Objective: To test whether ketamine reduces fatigue in cancer survivors and people with chronic illness. Eligibility: Adults between the ages of 18 and 70 who have fatigue and are cancer survivors or have been diagnosed with a chronic illness such as chronic fatigue syndrome and lupus. Design: Participants will be screened with a physical exam, medical history, blood and urine tests, questions about their fatigue, and breathalyzer test. During phase 1, participants will complete rating their fatigue using questionnaires. They will be provided thinking, memory, and motivation tests. They will also take a handgrip test. For this study, the participant will have an IV, which a needle guides a thin plastic tube (intravenous or IV line) into an arm in their vein. An IV will be required for two of the visits. They will get a single dose of either ketamine or midazolam through an IV line over 40 minutes. Participants must be accompanied by a responsible friend/family/colleague to take them home after getting the study drug. Participants will have follow-up visits where they repeat the above tests. They will also have follow-up phone calls. Phase 2 is the same as phase 1, but participants get the other study drug. The study lasts 1 month. Each phase lasts 2 weeks. Participants will have 6-8 total NIH visits. For the whole study, they will wear a device on their wrists that records physical activity. Drug side effects can include vivid dreams, seeing colors, perceiving time as moving slower or faster than normal, dizziness, headache, restlessness, nausea, or vomiting, among others. Read Less

This project seeks to identify the acute and longer-term impact of a single dose of intravenous ketamine among suicidal patients referred for psychiatric consultation/liaison in the medical inpatient setting. The investigators will then test whether ketamine's rapid effects can be extended by introducing helpful information delivered by a computer-based training protocol. This work could ultimately lead to the ability to treat suicidality more efficiently and with broader dissemination by rapidly priming the brain for helpful forms of learning. Read Less

Ketamine is a medication that came into clinical practice in the 1960's. Ketamine is used as an anesthetic and to provide pain relief. Recently, Ketamine was approved to treat drug resistant depression using subanesthetic doses. In the hospital setting, intravenous anesthetic dosages are used to treat unrelenting seizures known as status epilepticus in comatose patients. Ketamine in subanesthetic doses has not been tried as a treatment for medication resistant seizures in the outpatient setting. This study would like to examine the effectiveness of subanesthetic ketamine in outpatients who suffer from drug resistant epilepsy. Read Less

The aim of this double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects study is to determine whether other psychoactive substances can produce experiences akin to those seen with classic psychedelics. Screening involves a medical and psychiatric examination, including blood draw, history and physical, interviews, and questionnaires. Eligible participants will then be asked to complete up to 6 experimental drug administration session during which the participants will potentially receive and report on the subjective effects of 6 different psychoactive substances or inactive placebo. Drug assignment for some sessions will be randomized (like flipping a count or rolling a pair of dice), and both participants and study staff will be blind to the drug condition on any given day. Participants will also complete 2 preparation sessions (4 hours total) before the first experimental session, and follow-up visits after each session to discuss and debrief on the participants subjective experience. Read Less

The proposed study will assess the combined effect of perampanel and ketamine on the anti-depressant response in individuals with treatment resistant depression. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that stimulation of Alpha-Amino-3-Hydroxy-5-Methyl-4- Isoxazole Propionic Acid receptors (AMPAR) is critical to the anti-depressant response of ketamine. Read Less

The proposed study will assess the combined effect of perampanel and ketamine on the anti-depressant response in individuals with treatment resistant depression. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that stimulation of Alpha-Amino-3-Hydroxy-5-Methyl-4- Isoxazole Propionic Acid receptors (AMPAR) is critical to the anti-depressant response of ketamine. Read Less

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a devastating illness that has a growing impact on Veterans. One of the most disabling symptoms is depression, which is common in PD and linked to poor quality of life and higher risk of suicide. Unfortunately, there is a lack of effective treatments for depression in PD. Ketamine, which has rapid and potent antidepressant effects, is a potential option but has not been tested in Veterans with PD. Studies in rodents show that ketamine may not only improve depression in PD, it may target two of the underlying drivers of the disease: (1) reduced neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to adapt and remodel itself; and (2) elevated inflammation. The investigators are conducting a randomized, placebo-controlled study to examine if a dose of intravenous (IV) ketamine improves depression in Veterans with PD. The investigators will also examine ketamine's effects on neuroplasticity and inflammation, which will help us understand how ketamine works in PD and if it can be a useful treatment for Veterans with the disease. This study will lay groundwork for a larger clinical trial across multiple VA sites. Read Less