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Home/Research/Ketamine/Veterans

Ketamine for Veterans

14 papers and 7 clinical trials exploring ketamine as a treatment for veterans.

CompoundArylcyclohexylamine

Ketamine

A dissociative anesthetic with rapid-acting antidepressant properties, widely used in clinical settings for mood and pain disorders.

Full Ketamine profile
Indication~7% of veterans develop PTSD in their lifetime

Veterans

Veterans carry an unusually heavy burden of PTSD, depression, traumatic brain injury, moral injury and suicidality, and many do not respond to standard treatment. That unmet need has put them at the centre of psychedelic research, and of an intense real-world demand. The evidence is genuinely promising but still early and mostly uncontrolled, and in 2024 the US FDA declined to approve MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD.

Full Veterans profile

Academic Research

14 papers
Paywallindividual

Neural complexity EEG biomarkers of rapid and post-rapid ketamine effects in late-life treatment-resistant depression: a randomized control trial

In older adults with treatment‑resistant depression, a single sub‑anaesthetic ketamine infusion produced transient increases in EEG neural complexity (Lempel‑Ziv complexity and multiscale entropy) 30 minutes post‑infusion and subsequent reductions in MSE at later post‑rapid timepoints. These time‑varying, system‑wide complexity changes — detectable beyond the gamma oscillation window — suggest neural complexity is a promising non‑linear, amplitude‑independent biomarker of ketamine’s cortical effects, although it did not predict clinical improvement.

Published
April 19, 2023
Journal
Neuropsychopharmacology
Authors
Murphy, N., Tamman, A. J. F., Lijffijt, M., Amarneh, D., Iqbal, S., Swann, A., Averill, L. A., O'brien, B., Mathew, S. J.
Paywallindividual

Neurocognitive effects of repeated ketamine infusions in comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder

This open-label study (n=15) assessed the effectiveness of six ketamine infusions (35mg/70kg) over a 12-day period on neurocognitive function in veterans with comorbid PTSD and major depressive disorder (MDD). Significant improvement was observed in working memory following completion of the infusion series while greater improvements in PTSD and MDD symptoms were associated with lower working memory, slower processing speed and faster set-shifting at baseline.

Published
July 1, 2022
Journal
Journal of Affective Disorders
Authors
Albott, C. S., Lim, K. O., Erbes, C., Thuras, P., Wels, J., Tye, S. J., Shiroma, P. R.
Paywallindividual

Response to Intravenous Racemic Ketamine After Switch From Intranasal (S)-ketamine on Symptoms of Treatment-Resistant Depression and PTSD in Veterans: a Retrospective Case Series

In a retrospective case series of 15 veterans with treatment‑resistant depression and comorbid PTSD who switched from intranasal (S)‑ketamine to intravenous racemic (R,S)‑ketamine, IV treatment was associated with larger and statistically significant reductions in PHQ‑9 and PCL‑5 scores while reductions after IN (S)‑ketamine were smaller and not significant. The authors suggest IV racemic ketamine may be a reasonable next step for inadequate responders to IN (S)‑ketamine, but randomised, double‑blind trials are needed.

Published
February 24, 2022
Journal
Pharmacotherapy
Authors
Bentley, S., Artin, H., Mehaffey, E., Liu, F., Sojourner, K., Bismark, |. A., David Printz, |., Lee, E. E., Martis, B., De Peralta, S., Baker, D. G., Mishra, J., Ramanathan, D.
Open Accessindividual

Dose-related effects of ketamine for antidepressant-resistant symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in veterans and active duty military: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multi-center clinical trial

This double-blind RCT (n=158) assessed 8 repeated doses of intravenous ketamine administered twice weekly at a low dose (0.2 mg/kg; n = 53), standard dose (0.5 mg/kg; n = 51) ketamine or placebo (n=54) in veterans and service members with PTSD. It was found that the standard dose of ketamine reduced MADRS scores significantly more than placebo. However, the trial failed to find a significant dose-related effect of ketamine on PTSD symptoms measured using the CAPS-5.

Published
January 19, 2022
Journal
Neuropsychopharmacology
Authors
Abdallah, C. G., Roache, J. D., Gueorguieva, R., Averill, L. A., Young-McCaughan, S., Shiroma, P. R., Purohit, P., Brundige, A., Murff, W., Ahn, K-H., Baltutis, E. J., Ranganathan, M., D’Souza, D. C., Souza, S. E., Martini, B., Southwick, S. M., Burson, R. R., Guthmiller, K. B., McCallin, J. P., Hoch, M. B., Timchenko, A., Bryant, C. E., Mintz, J., Williamson, D. E., Keane, T. M., Peterson, A. L., Krystal, J. H.
Paywallindividual

Identification of an optimal dose of intravenous ketamine for late-life treatment-resistant depression: a Bayesian adaptive randomization trial

This randomized Bayesian adaptive dose-finding trial compared single-infusion IV ketamine 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/kg with active-control midazolam in 33 veterans with late-life treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine 0.5 mg/kg had the strongest day-7 MADRS response signal and better day-28 response durability among day-7 responders.

Published
November 27, 2021
Journal
Neuropsychopharmacology
Authors
Haile, C. N., Hirsch, L. C.
Paywallmeta

Ketamine For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders And Its Possible Therapeutic Mechanism

This review (2021) investigates the possibility of ketamine being used to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Published
April 13, 2021
Journal
Neurochemistry International
Authors
Asim, M., Wang, B., Hao, B., Wang, X.

Clinical Trials

7 trials
Temporarily not availablePhase II

Department of Defense PTSD Adaptive Platform Trial – Intervention D – SLS-002

This Phase II randomised, quadruple-blind, placebo-controlled trial (n=200) will assess the safety and efficacy of intranasal SLS-002 (ketamine, 78mg) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in active-duty service members and veterans.

Started
June 1, 2025
Type
interventional
Blinding
quadruple
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT06816433
RecruitingPhase II

Ketamine-assisted Integrative Treatment for Veterans With Chronic Low Back Pain and Comorbid Depression

Pilot sequential study (n=44 planned; initial n=5 open-label pilot) assessing feasibility, acceptability, and safety of four twice-weekly IV ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg) followed by a brief narrative intervention versus minimally enhanced usual care in Veterans with chronic low back pain and depression.

Started
December 1, 2024
Type
interventional
Blinding
single
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT06419439
CompletedPhase II

Ketamine-enhanced Prolonged Exposure Therapy in PTSD

Phase II randomised, quadruple-blind parallel trial (n=75 actual) of IV ketamine (0.5 mg/kg weekly ×3) vs active placebo (midazolam 0.045 mg/kg) combined with Prolonged Exposure therapy for Veterans with PTSD.

Started
March 9, 2021
Type
interventional
Blinding
quadruple
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT04560660
CompletedPhase II

Open Label Ketamine Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder in Veterans

Open-label, single-group study (n=11 actual) delivering up to 6 IV ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg, 40 min; once or twice weekly) to Veterans with major depressive disorder to assess safety, tolerability and longer-term effects.

Started
January 31, 2017
Type
interventional
Blinding
none
Randomized
No
Registry ID
NCT03053830
Completed

High-Dose IV Ketamine Infusion for Combat-Related PTSD in Veterans: Prospective Observational Case Series (Ross 2019, Ann Clin Psychiatry)

This unregistered trial (n=30) was a prospective observational case series of titrated IV ketamine infusions for combat-related PTSD in US military veterans, which demonstrated significant reductions in both PTSD and depressive symptoms.

Started
January 1, 2017
Type
interventional
Randomized
No
Registry ID
ROSS-2019-ACP-KETAMINE-PTSD-VETERANS
CompletedPhase II

Efficacy of Repeated Ketamine Infusions for Treatment-resistant Depression

Randomised, parallel RCT (n=62) in Veterans with treatment‑resistant depression comparing six IV ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg) over 12 days versus a single IV ketamine infusion (0.5 mg/kg) preceded by five midazolam infusions (0.045 mg/kg) as an active comparator.

Started
April 1, 2015
Type
interventional
Blinding
triple
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT02360280

Explore further

Search all Ketamine papers Search all Veterans trials Full Ketamine profile Full Veterans profile