EpilepsyPhase 1NCT04861051
Understanding Ketamine's Dissociative Effects (KD Study)
A Phase 1 study testing Ketamine in people with Epilepsy, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to understand how ketamine brings about dissociative symptoms. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Epilepsy
- What is being tested?
- Ketamine
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 26 Jul 2021to 1 Aug 2028
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patient in Stanford Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
- Age >18 years old.
Who cannot join
- Lifetime psychotic or bipolar disorder
- Inability to speak, read or understand English
- Pregnant or nursing females
- Prior adverse ketamine response
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Stanford University School of Medicine
Palo Alto, California, 94305
Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD
About this study
Official title: Understanding Ketamine's Dissociative Effects in Epilepsy (KD Study)
The purpose of this study is to understand how ketamine brings about dissociative symptoms.
Read the detailed description
The goal of this proposed research is to record the effects of ketamine on brain activity to understand the changes that occur during dissociation in epilepsy patients with stereoEEG.
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
KetamineDrug
Also called Ketalar
Study participants will receive 0.5mg/kg of ketamine - one single infusion
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Ketamine | Other | Study participants will receive 0.5mg/kg of ketamine - one single infusion Receives: Drug: Ketamine |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of participants with dissociative events during ketamine infusion as assessed by CADSS (Clinician-Administered Dissociative State Scale)
The CADSS is an instrument for the measurement of dissociative symptoms. The CADSS comprises 23 subjective items and participant's responses are coded on a 5-point scale (0 = Not at all; 4 = Extreme). The higher the number on the CADSS, the more severe the symptoms.
Measured: up to 1 week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted27 Apr 2021
- Study start26 Jul 2021
- Primary completion1 Aug 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Aug 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for EpilepsyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Stanford UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Stanford University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Karl Deisseroth, Stanford University
- Investigators
- Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, Stanford University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04861051
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 60085
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 22 Apr 2021
- Last updated
- 22 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Understanding Ketamine's Dissociative Effects in Epilepsy (KD Study)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04861051
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 60085
- Conditions
- Epilepsy
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Stanford UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 26 Jul 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Aug 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Aug 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 27 Apr 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to understand how ketamine brings about dissociative symptoms.
Detailed description
The goal of this proposed research is to record the effects of ketamine on brain activity to understand the changes that occur during dissociation in epilepsy patients with stereoEEG.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Ketamine | Other | Drug: KetamineStudy participants will receive 0.5mg/kg of ketamine - one single infusion |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Patient in Stanford Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
- Age >18 years old.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Lifetime psychotic or bipolar disorder
- Inability to speak, read or understand English
- Pregnant or nursing females
- Prior adverse ketamine response
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| KetamineAlso: KetalarStudy participants will receive 0.5mg/kg of ketamine - one single infusion | Drug | Ketamine |
Primary outcome
Number of participants with dissociative events during ketamine infusion as assessed by CADSS (Clinician-Administered Dissociative State Scale)
Time frame: up to 1 week
The CADSS is an instrument for the measurement of dissociative symptoms. The CADSS comprises 23 subjective items and participant's responses are coded on a 5-point scale (0 = Not at all; 4 = Extreme). The higher the number on the CADSS, the more severe the symptoms.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Apr 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD principal investigator
Stanford University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 1 study testing Ketamine in people with Epilepsy, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Arjay Cordero (650-580-9000, arjayc@stanford.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Number of participants with dissociative events during ketamine infusion as assessed by CADSS (Clinician-Administered Dissociative State Scale) (time frame: up to 1 week). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Apr 2026.