This unregistered trial (n=28) was a pilot study of intravenous ketamine combined with propofol-electroconvulsive therapy for treatment-resistant depression in adults, finding that the combination improved antidepressant effects for approximately seven days.
This synthetic trial has been added to our database because a psychedelic paper (about a clinical trial) references this trial, but no (live) registration can be found.
The study investigated the efficacy of combining intravenous ketamine with propofol-electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients with depression that had proven resistant to standard ECT. The intervention involved six doses of ketamine and six sessions of bilateral ECT administered over a two-week period.
Results indicated that the addition of ketamine improved antidepressant outcomes compared to ECT alone. Neuroimaging via resting-state fMRI showed increased global functional connectivity density in the left temporal and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, alongside decreased functional connectivity strength within the default mode network. While functional brain alterations persisted for ten days, the clinical antidepressant effect was observed to last for seven days.
Patients received intravenous ketamine and propofol-electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) alternately.
Injected at 10:00 pm the day before propofol-ECT
Used as anaesthetic during ECT; dose range 1-2 mg/kg
Bilateral ECT; stimulus intensity adjusted by energy percentage
Patients received propofol-electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) only.
Used as anaesthetic during ECT; dose range 1-2 mg/kg
Bilateral ECT