Ketamine booster for shock therapy? new trial aims to lift depression and protect memory
NCT ID NCT07088380
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase 3 trial tests whether adding a low dose of ketamine to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can better relieve depression and reduce memory problems in people with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Thirty hospitalized adults will receive either ketamine or a placebo during three ECT sessions. Researchers will measure changes in depression symptoms, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety over four weeks.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ketamine hydrochloride
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a more effective and less mentally foggy way to treat severe depression that hasn't responded to other treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 30 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Ketamine can cause side effects like dizziness or dissociation, and the added benefit over ECT alone is not yet proven.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele Turro
RECRUITINGMilan, 20127, Italy
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