Pilot Study of Ketamine in Adults With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

New York State Psychiatric Institute15 enrolled

Overview

In this study investigators are studying the effects of a drug called ketamine on the symptoms of Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common psychiatric illness that affects up to 2-3% of the population. People with OCD experience anxiety-provoking, intrusive thoughts, known as obsessions, and feel compelled to perform repetitive behaviors, or compulsions. The only medications proven effective for OCD are serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), but even with SRI treatment, most patients continue to experience significant OCD symptoms, impaired functioning, and diminished quality of life. Recent evidence suggest that a different neurotransmitter, glutamate, may contribute to the symptoms in OCD. Medications that target glutamate hold promise for ameliorating symptoms for those patients continuing to suffer from OCD. In this study the investigators are recruiting patients to receive the drug ketamine, which is thought to modulate the neurotransmitter glutamate through the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), in a 2-week placebo controlled study.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Interventions

Ketamine infusionDRUG

0.5mg/kg IV over 40 minutes

SalineOTHER

saline infusion

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 55 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18-55 * Physically healthy and not currently pregnant * Primary Diagnosis of OCD * Sufficient severity of symptoms * Able to provide consent Exclusion Criteria: * Psychiatric conditions that make participation unsafe * Currently on psychotropic medication * Medical conditions that make participation unsafe * Allergy to ketamine * Any metal in the body

Locations (1)

New York State Psychiatric Institute

New York, New York, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Number of Patients Who Met and Exceeded Response Criteria of Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale.

Patients given YBOCS (Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale), a gold standard measure of obsessions and compulsions. For the YBOCS the minimum units are 0 and Maximum units on the total scale are 40. The higher the number on the YBOCS, the more severe the symptoms. Response was defined as at least a 35% reduction on the YBOCS.

Time frame: 1 week

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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