A Phase 1 interventional study of Ketamine and Midazolam in Depression, sponsored by St Patrick's Hospital, Ireland. Terminated at 1 site in Ireland. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-09-09.
Sponsored by St Patrick's Hospital, Ireland · Phase 1, Interventional, and Health services research
Pragmatic, randomised, controlled, parallel group, pilot clinical trial of ketamine vs. midazolam interleaved with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as an adjunctive treatment for a major depressive episode. The main purpose of the pilot study is to assess trial processes to help inform a future definitive trial.
Patients referred for treatment with ECT at St Patrick's Mental Health Services for treatment of a depressive episode will be eligible for recruitment to the clinical trial. Participants will be invited to be randomised to a course of twice-weekly ketamine or midazolam infusions for the duration of ECT. Participants will receive the first allocated infusion following the first or second treatment with ECT. Block randomisation will be independently performed. Infusions will be delivered on separate days to ECT. Physical, psychotomimetic and cognitive outcomes will be monitored before, during and after infusions.Treatment-as-usual will continue throughout the entire trial.
Trial Interventions: participants will receive twice-weekly infusions of either ketamine at 0.5mg/Kg or midazolam at 0.045mg/Kg. All infusions will be administered by a Consultant Anaesthetist. Repeated infusions of allocated drug have been shown to be safe and well tolerated by patients with mental illness. Minor haemodynamic changes and psychotomimetic side effects can occur and will be assessed regularly during infusions and for 120 minutes afterwards. Participants will be followed-up at six weeks and three months after the final infusion to assess for relapse according to standardised criteria.
8,577 studies on the registry are indexed under Depression; 1,720 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 3 is below the median of 81 across 7,063 interventional studies indexed under Depression.
Browse Depression studies →St Patrick's Hospital, Ireland is the lead sponsor of 7 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
DSM diagnostic criteria
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraception
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will receive twice-weekly infusions of ketamine at 0.05mg/kg for the duration of treatment with ECT. All infusions will be administered by a Consultant Anaesthetist.
Drug: Ketamine
Participants will receive twice-weekly infusions of midazolam at 0.045mg/kg for the duration of treatment with ECT. All infusions will be administered by a Consultant Anaesthetist.
Drug: Midazolam
Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)
A validated, 10-item, depression rating scale to measure depressive symptomatology and response to treatment. During the infusion sessions MADRS scores will be obtained immediately pre-infusion and at +60 and +120 minutes afterwards. Depression measures will be repeated at week 6 and at three-months post infusion. This outcome measure assesses the change in MADRS scores during the pilot trial. A course of ECT can be prescribed for a maximum to 6 weeks (12 sessions in total, twice weekly for 6 weeks). Trial infusions will be administered twice weekly on separate days to ECT, for the duration of treatment with ECT. Therefore, trial infusions may be administered for up to 6 weeks. Participants will be followed up for three months (12 weeks) after their final infusion. In total, participants outcome measures will be repeated for up to 18 weeks.
Time frame: 18 weeks
The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms, self-report version (QIDS-SR16)
The QIDS-SR16 is a validated self-report measure of depressive symptoms. This consists of 16 questions rated 0-3. Its score range is 0-48, with higher scores reflecting greater burden of depressive symptoms. During the infusion sessions in the pilot trial QIDS scores will be obtained immediately pre-infusion and at +60 and +120 minutes afterwards. For longer-term follow-up, depression measures will be repeated at weeks 6 and three-month follow-up. A course of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) can be prescribed for a maximum to 6 weeks (12 sessions in total, twice weekly for 6 weeks). Trial infusions will be administered twice weekly on separate days to ECT, for the duration of treatment with ECT. Therefore, trial infusions may be administered for up to 6 weeks. Participants will be followed up for three months (12 weeks) after their final infusion. In total, participants outcome measures will be repeated for up to 18 weeks (12 weeks + 6 weeks).
Time frame: 18 weeks
The Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS)
The CADSS measures dissociative symptoms. It will be administered before, during and after infusions in order to capture the range of possible subjective side effects of either agent. This consists of 23 questions and scores for each question range from 0-4. The maximum score is 92 with higher scores indicating more dissociative symptoms. Participants will have the CADSS performed before, during (+30mins) and after (+60mins) each infusions. A course of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) can be prescribed for a maximum to 6 weeks (12 sessions in total, twice weekly for 6 weeks). Trial infusions will be administered twice weekly on separate days to ECT, for the duration of treatment with ECT. Therefore, trial infusions may be administered for up to 6 weeks. The above measures will be repeated for the duration of the trial i.e. for up to 6 weeks.
Time frame: 6 weeks
The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS)
The BPRS measures psychotomimetic effects. The investigators will use the positive symptoms subscale of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. The 4-item positive symptoms subscale measures suspiciousness, hallucinations, unusual thought content, and conceptual disorganisation. Each question is scored between 0-7. The maximum score in this 4-item questionnaire is 28. Higher scores indicate more severe psychotic symptoms. Participants will have the BPRS performed before, during (+30mins) and after (+60mins) each infusion. A course of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) can be prescribed for a maximum to 6 weeks (12 sessions in total, twice weekly for 6 weeks). Trial infusions will be administered twice weekly on separate days to ECT, for the duration of treatment with ECT. Therefore, trial infusions may be administered for up to 6 weeks. The above measures will be repeated for the duration of the trial i.e. for up to 6 weeks
Time frame: 6 weeks
Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS; mood item)
Investigators will use the mood item of them YMRS to assess for psychotomimetic effects. This item is rated 0-4. The higher scores reflect elevated mood. Participants will have the YMRS performed before, during (+30mins) and after (+60mins) each infusion. A course of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) can be prescribed for a maximum to 6 weeks (12 sessions in total, twice weekly for 6 weeks). Trial infusions will be administered twice weekly on separate days to ECT, for the duration of treatment with ECT. Therefore, trial infusions may be administered for up to 6 weeks. The above measures will be repeated for the duration of the trial i.e. for up to 6 weeks
Time frame: 6 weeks
The Patient-Rated Inventory of Side Effects (PRISE)
The PRISE will be used to document other general adverse events by patients before, during and after infusions. This is a patient self-report used to qualify side effects by identifying and evaluating the tolerability of each symptom. It is a 9 item assessment. Participants will have the PRISE performed before, during (+30mins) and after (+60mins) each infusion. A course of ECT can be prescribed for a maximum to 6 weeks (12 sessions in total, twice weekly for 6 weeks). Trial infusions will be administered twice weekly on separate days to ECT, for the duration of treatment with ECT. Therefore, trial infusions may be administered for up to 6 weeks. The above measures will be repeated for the duration of the trial i.e. for up to 6 weeks
Time frame: 6 weeks
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
The MOCA was designed as a rapid screening instrument for mild cognitive dysfunction. It assesses different cognitive domains: attention and concentration, executive functions, memory, language, conceptual thinking, calculations, and orientation. It is scored out of a maximum of 30. The higher scores indicate better cognition. The MOCA will be performed at baseline, one day after the first and final infusions and at 12 weeks after the final infusion. A course of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) can be prescribed for a maximum to 6 weeks (12 sessions in total, twice weekly for 6 weeks). Trial infusions will be administered twice weekly on separate days to ECT, for the duration of treatment with ECT. Therefore, trial infusions may be administered for up to 6 weeks. Participants will be followed up for three months (12 weeks) after their final infusion. In total, participants outcome measures will be repeated for up to 18 weeks (12 weeks + 6 weeks).
Time frame: 18 weeks
Plan to share: No
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This study is terminated, as verified in Sep 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Studies of the drug tested here: Ketamine
St Patrick's Hospital, Ireland