Can ketamine and talk therapy rewire the depressed brain?
NCT ID NCT07247006
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether ketamine injections combined with psychotherapy can help people with treatment-resistant depression. Researchers will use brain scans to see if changes in brain activity link to improvements. About 25 adults will receive 1-2 doses of ketamine and several therapy sessions over two months.
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 injection
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a faster-acting treatment for depression that doesn't respond to standard antidepressants.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study with only 25 people, so results may not apply widely. Ketamine can cause dissociative side effects, and the benefit may not last.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 25 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria The following inclusion criteria must be met for all subjects to be considered eligible to participate: 1. 18 years old or older 2. Able to speak, read, and understand English 3. In generally stable health 4. Must have treatment resistant depression, as defined as scoring in the moderate or above range on the HDRS and having failed two adequate trials of antidepressants in the last two years. Exclusion Criteria General exclusion criteria for all subjects include: 1. Uncontrolled hypertension 2. Impaired cardiac status a. Abnormal ECG report in the last month prior to screening 3. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 4. Congenital Long QT Syndrome 5. ≥265lbs or 120kg 6. Severe obesity (BMI ≥40) 7. Increased intracranial or cerebrospinal pressure 8. Pregnancy or breastfeeding 9. Hyperthyroidism 10. Prior adverse response to ketamine, including allergic reaction 11. Symptoms of psychosis or prodromal phase 12. Severe personality disorder 13. Autistic Spectrum Disorders 14. Bipolar disorder 15. History of substance abuse, defined as a score of three or more on Drug Abuse scale (prior use of psychedelics allowed) 16. Past-year suicide attempt or ongoing ideation with intent to act 17. All exclusion criteria for magnetic resonance imaging safety: any metallic implants, brain or skull abnormalities, tattoos on large body parts, and claustrophobia. 18. Taking medications that could interact with ketamine. Examples include but are not limited to: any types of stimulants, aripiprazole, diphenhydramine, hydromorphone, escitalopram, fluoxetine, alprazolam, and sertraline. Each subject's current medications will be evaluated for interactions with ketamine before admission into the trial.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, New York, 14642, United States
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