This open-label, randomised crossover trial (n=25) will investigate the effects of intravenous (IV) ketamine (35 mg/70 kg; 0.5 mg/kg over 1 hour) combined with self-selected music, therapist-selected music, or silence on chronic noncancer pain.
Pragmatic randomised crossover trial recruiting 25 patients receiving repeated IV ketamine for chronic noncancer pain at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit. Each participant receives four one-hour infusions (baseline plus three conditions) of ketamine 0.5 mg/kg with randomized exposure to preferred music, therapist-selected music, or silence.
Outcomes include pain intensity and duration, mood, sleep, cognitive flexibility, and anxiety/depression symptoms; qualitative interviews will assess subjective ketamine experiences and any adverse effects. Sessions use noise-cancelling headphones and standardised ambient conditions to isolate music effects.
Randomised crossover of one baseline session and three music conditions (preferred music, therapist-selected music, silence) with IV ketamine 0.5 mg/kg over 60 minutes; four infusion sessions per participant in randomized order.
0.5 mg/kg IV over 60 minutes per session (four sessions per participant including baseline).
Preferred music: participant-selected playlist ~1 hour delivered via noise-cancelling headphones.
Therapist-selected music: curated lyric-free playlists used in prior psychedelic-therapy research.
Silence: noise-cancelling headphones, no music; same ambience and procedures.