Recently, interest has emerged in the use of ketamine as an antidepressant. Recent
placebo-controlled clinical trials administering a single dose and an open label trial giving
repeated doses shown that ketamine is markedly superior to placebo at reducing depression,
including in treatment-resistant patients, and that its antidepressant effects have a very
rapid onset.
This clinical study consists of two phases. In Phase I, participants who satisfy inclusion
criteria will receive ketamine at variable doses (0.1mg/kg-0.5mg/kg) or a placebo (saline, or
0.01mg/kg midazolam) once a week over up to 6 weeks. If participants qualify for Phase II,
they will receive repeated sessions of ketamine at variable doses over three weeks. During
both phases, mood, psychiatric, and neuropsychological outcomes will be measured.