Ketamine's Effect on Spinal Cord Monitoring During Surgery

This study is looking at how the drug ketamine affects special measurements called motor evoked potentials (MEPs) during spine surgery. MEPs help doctors monitor your spinal cord's health during an operation. If you are an adult (over 18) having a posterior spinal fusion surgery, you might be able to join. You cannot join if you are allergic to ketamine, have certain heart conditions, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or a history of schizophrenia. During the surgery, you will receive increasing doses of ketamine, and doctors will measure your MEPs to see how they change. The main goal is to understand how ketamine impacts these measurements within 30 minutes of administration. The study plans to include 20 participants, but its current status is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study, meaning participants will receive a specific treatment (ketamine). It plans to enroll 20 adult patients.
What's involved
Participants will receive ketamine during their spinal fusion surgery, with MEPs measured at increasing doses.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
MEPs will be measured at 30 minutes after ketamine administration.

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NCT06140927

Effect of Ketamine on Intraoperative Motor Evoked Potentials

Recruiting
PHASE3Ages 18+InterventionalDiagnostic
University of California, San Francisco
~20 participants
Updated 2025-05-07 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Ketamine

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in threshold motor evoked potentials (MEP) in response to intraoperative ketamine administration
Measured over 30 minutes
+2 more outcomes measured
Spine Fusion
Spine Tumor
Spinal Stenosis
1 sites across 1 states
California1
  • Marc Buren, MD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of California, San Francisco

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Adult patients (\>18 years of age) undergoing posterior spinal fusions.

Exclusion

Sensitivity or allergy to ketamine.
Schizophrenia or other psychotic conditions
Uncontrolled hypertension with systolic blood pressure greater than 180 mmHg
Myocardial Infarction
Large vascular aneurysms
Patients on ketamine as outpatient therapy.
  • Change in threshold motor evoked potentials (MEP) in response to intraoperative ketamine administration30 minutes

    MEP helps to monitor the integrity and function of the spinal cord and alert the surgeon of any potential injury during the spine surgery. MEP amplitude will be measured at each of 3 ketamine doses and compared to baseline. The measurements will be at each dose change of ketamine approximately 10, 20 and 30 minutes after the start of the ketamine infusions.

  • Change in supramaximal motor evoked potentials (MEP) in response to intraoperative ketamine administration30 minutes

    MEP helps to monitor the integrity and function of the spinal cord and alert the surgeon of any potential injury during the spine surgery. MEP amplitude will be measured at each of 3 ketamine doses and compared to baseline. The measurements will be at each dose change of ketamine approximately 10, 20 and 30 minutes after the start of the ketamine infusions.

  • Change in motor evoked potentials (MEP) facilitation in response to intraoperative ketamine administration30 minutes

    MEP helps to monitor the integrity and function of the spinal cord and alert the surgeon of any potential injury during the spine surgery. MEP amplitude will be measured at each of 3 ketamine doses and compared to baseline. The measurements will be at each dose change of ketamine approximately 10, 20 and 30 minutes after the start of the ketamine infusions.