Ketamine as a Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2020-01-27
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The purpose of this study is to study new ways to treat post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). Current treatments for PTSD do not work for everyone and it can take time to
determine whether a person responds to a chosen treatment. The purpose of this study is to
see whether ketamine, when given repeatedly intravenously can produce a quick and persistent
improvement in PTSD symptoms. At higher doses, ketamine has been used for many years as an
anesthetic for medical procedures, and at lower doses may be an effective treatment in
patients with major depression and PTSD. Ketamine given for PTSD is investigational, which
means that the FDA has not yet approved the drug for treating this condition. In this study,
the effects of ketamine will be compared to those of midazolam. Midazolam has similar acute
anesthetic effects compared to ketamine but has not been shown to treat or alleviate any
symptoms of PTSD. This makes midazolam an appropriate substance to gauge whether ketamine can
treat or alleviate PTSD symptoms thereby acting as what we call an active control.