Outpatient Ketamine for Chronic Neuropathic Pain and PTSD

This study is looking at how outpatient ketamine infusions might help military members, veterans, and retirees who have chronic neuropathic pain (nerve pain lasting a long time) and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). We are testing ketamine alone, ketamine combined with magnesium sulfate, or magnesium sulfate alone. You could join if you are 18-70 years old, have chronic neuropathic pain for at least 3 months, and have not used ketamine in the past year. The study aims to see if these treatments improve your pain levels, how much pain interferes with your daily life, and your overall life satisfaction. This is a pilot study with 30 participants.

Study design
This is a pilot study with 30 participants who will be randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. The study is interventional, meaning participants will receive specific treatments.
What's involved
You would receive intravenous infusions for 4 hours each day, with the number of treatments per week decreasing over 6 weeks. There will also be booster treatments at week 10 and week 24. You will complete self-reported pain and PTSD questionnaires throughout the approximately 24-week study period.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your pain and life satisfaction will be measured for up to 32 weeks after the study begins.

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NCT06414356

The Effect of Outpatient Ketamine Infusion on Chronic Neuropathic Pain and PTSD

Recruiting
PHASE4Ages 18–70InterventionalTreatment
Margaux M. Salas, PhD
~30 participants
Updated 2025-02-25 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:KetamineMagnesium sulfateKetamine + Magnesium sulfate

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Score (DVPRS)
Measured over Up to 32 weeks
+6 more outcomes measured
Neuropathic Pain
PTSD
1 sites across 1 states
Texas1

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

18-70 years old with Chronic Neuropathic Pain \>= 3 months
Biologic male or biologic female
Women of childbearing age will be included if there are no plans of pregnancy within the study period, the participant agrees to actively utilize contraception throughout the study, and agrees to pregnancy tests
Active Duty, Veterans, and retirees
Ketamine naïve for 1 year
Moderate Neuropathic pain Scale 4-7

Exclusion

Cognitive dysfunction
Psychiatric illness involving psychosis
Neurocognitive disorder
Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Acute cardiovascular disease or poorly controlled hypertension
Untreated or uncontrolled thyroid disease
Hyperthyroidism
Severe liver or renal disease
Renal impairment
History of recent heart attack, vascular disease, or any other medical condition that may be deemed by a provider as a contraindication to receiving ketamine
Active substance abuse
Pregnant or lactating
Patients who are planning to become pregnant within 12 weeks of treatment completion
Elevated Blood Pressure/hypertension
Known hypersensitivity to Ketamine
Hemodynamic instability
Respiratory depression
Use of Theophylline or Aminophylline, Sympathomimetics and Vasopressin,
Use of Benzodiazepines
A history of drug abuse or dependence
Active risk of substance use
Patients who are not able to abide by the pre-treatment and posttreatment clinical protocol, such as food intake, abstaining from certain medications, unable to remain in the clinic for a minimum of 1 hour for observation, and cannot provide the name and phone number of the party who will pick them up post-treatment
  • Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Score (DVPRS)Up to 32 weeks

    The DVPRS is a self-report instrument used to assess pain intensity in military personnel, veterans, and other military populations. It was specifically developed for individuals with military backgrounds and is often used in clinical settings to monitor pain levels and treatment effectiveness. The DVPRS consists of a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 represents "worst possible pain." Respondents rate their pain intensity by selecting the number that best corresponds to their current level of pain. The DVPRS questionnaire will be used to determine how daily pain levels change throughout the study. Three questions assess current pain, worst pain in past 7 days, and worse pain in past month. These three questions are separately assessed for pain.

  • Brief Pain Inventory Scale (BPI)Up to 32 weeks

    The BPI is a 15-item self-report measure of pain intensity and pain interference with daily life. The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) is scored separately for its two main sections: Pain Severity and Pain Interference. It includes questions about the intensity of pain at its "worst," "least," "average," and "right now" over the past week. Respondents rate the severity of pain on a numeric rating scale (NRS) from 0 to 10. The Pain Interference section evaluates the extent to which pain interferes with various aspects of the individual's life. The Pain Severity Score is calculated with the average score of the four items assessing pain severity. This average represents the overall pain severity experienced by the individual. This questionnaire will be used to determine how current pain levels change throughout the study.

  • Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LiSAT)Up to 32 weeks

    The LiSAT is a self-report instrument used to assess overall satisfaction with various life domains. It provides a comprehensive assessment of life satisfaction. The LiSAT consists of items that assess satisfaction across several domains of life, such as: work, leisure activities and free time, economy, relationships with friends, relationships with relatives, sexual life/partner relationship, physical health, psychological health, and safety. Respondents rate their satisfaction within each domain using a Likert-type scale, with response options ranging from "very dissatisfied" to "very satisfied". Each response is assigned a numerical value. After completing the questionnaire, scores for each domain are summed or averaged to obtain a total score or subscale scores representing satisfaction within specific life domains. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction within the respective domain.

  • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5)Up to 32 weeks

    The PTSD Checklist (PCL-5) is a widely used self-report measure used to assess symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It consists of 20 items that correspond to the Diagnostic and Statistical criteria for PTSD. Respondents rate the frequency of symptoms over the past month on a scale from 0 (Not at all) to 4 (Extremely). There are different cutoff scores used for diagnosing PTSD or assessing the severity of symptoms, but higher total scores generally indicate more severe PTSD symptoms. * 0-31: Subclinical range (minimal to no PTSD symptoms) * 32-37: Mild PTSD symptoms * 38-43: Moderate PTSD symptoms * 44 and above: Severe PTSD symptoms

  • The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS 29+2)Up to 32 weeks

    The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS 29+2) profile is a comprehensive assessment tool used to evaluate various aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) across physical, mental, and social domains. Respondents rate their experiences over the past 7 days using a Likert-type scale, with response options ranging from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate greater impairment or severity of symptoms, depending on the specific domain being assessed. For scoring, each item is scored based on the response provided by the respondent. Scores for items within each domain are aggregated to calculate domain scores. The questionnaire provides individual scores for each domain assessed, allowing for a comprehensive profile of the respondent's health-related quality of life. Total for each domain is assessed. Higher scores typically indicate greater impairment or symptom severity, while lower scores indicate better functioning or fewer symptoms.

  • Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)Up to 32 weeks

    The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a widely used screening tool for depression. It consists of nine questions that ask about symptoms experienced over the past two weeks. Each question is scored on a scale from 0 to 3, with responses ranging from "not at all" to "nearly every day." To score the PHQ-9: 1. Assign a score from 0 to 3 for each question based on the response: * "Not at all" = 0 * "Several days" = 1 * "More than half the days" = 2 * "Nearly every day" = 3 2. Sum the scores for all nine questions to obtain a total score, which can range from 0 to 27. Interpretation of the total PHQ-9 score is as follows: * 0-4: Minimal depression symptoms * 5-9: Mild depression symptoms * 10-14: Moderate depression symptoms * 15-19: Moderately severe depression symptoms * 20-27: Severe depression symptoms

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder ScaleUp to 32 weeks

    The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) is a widely used screening tool designed to assess the severity of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms. It consists of seven questions that ask about symptoms experienced over the past two weeks. Each question is scored on a scale from 0 to 3, with responses ranging from "not at all" to "nearly every day." To score the GAD-7 questions are rated from 0 to 3. * "Not at all" = 0 * "Several days" = 1 * "More than half the days" = 2 * "Nearly every day" = 3 The sum of the scores for all seven questions obtain a total score, which can range from 0 to 21. Interpretation of the total GAD-7 score is as follows: * 0-4: Minimal anxiety symptoms * 5-9: Mild anxiety symptoms * 10-14: Moderate anxiety symptoms * 15-21: Severe anxiety symptoms