Could ketamine help veterans overcome PTSD faster?

NCT ID NCT04560660

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 12, 2026 · Updated 5 times

Summary

This study tested whether repeated doses of ketamine, an FDA-approved anesthetic, could speed up the effects of talk therapy (Prolonged Exposure) for PTSD in 75 veterans. Participants received either ketamine or a placebo alongside therapy. The goal was to see if ketamine could reduce PTSD symptoms more quickly than therapy alone.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Ketamine
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a faster way to reduce PTSD symptoms in veterans, making therapy more effective in less time.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase trial with only 75 participants. Results may not apply to all PTSD patients, and ketamine can cause side effects like dissociation.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for PTSD are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

PTSD

Contacts and locations

Locations

Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55417-2309, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.