Randomised, double-blind, within-subject crossover study (n=16 actual) assessing single-dose intranasal esketamine 56 mg versus placebo on dynamic brain glutamate release, resting-state connectivity, and vision in healthy volunteers.
This within-subject crossover study uses a single 56 mg intranasal dose of esketamine versus placebo in healthy adults to test whether esketamine increases dynamic brain glutamate release measured by 7T fMRS, and to examine effects on resting-state BOLD connectivity and visual task performance.
Primary outcome is change in glutamate release during a flickering checkerboard stimulus measured by 7T fMRS. Secondary outcomes include resting-state connectivity (7T BOLD-rs-fMRI), behavioural visual task measures, and correlations with psychological questionnaires.
Study is conducted at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford (Warneford Hospital); sponsor: University of Oxford. Design: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover; participants complete two dosing sessions (esketamine and placebo).
Single-dose esketamine nasal spray (56 mg total) in a within-subject crossover vs placebo.
Intranasal (28 mg per nostril)
Intranasal placebo (0.9% NaCl) in crossover comparator arm.
0.9% NaCl intranasal