Extending Ketamine's Effects in OCD With Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP)

Phase 2

Completed

Brief Summary: This study investigates if a single dose of IV Ketamine can rapidly improve Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms and whether these effect can be maintained with a condensed course of a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy called Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP). You will be compensated for your time and travel. Participants must be between the ages of 18-55.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Age 18-55
Physically healthy and not currently pregnant
Primary Diagnosis of OCD
Sufficient severity of symptoms
Currently off all psychotropic medication OR
Currently on adequate dose of medication for treatment of OCD, but have not achieved at least partial remission
Able to provide consent

Exclusion Criteria

Psychiatric conditions that make participation unsafe (schizophrenia [either self or first degree relative e.g. siblings, parents], history of violence, severe depression, eating disorder, substance dependence [including nicotine])
Female patients who are either pregnant or nursing
Planning to commence EX/RP during the period of the study or those who have completed an adequate dose of EX/RP (defined as 8 or more sessions within 2 months) within 8 weeks prior to enrollment.

period of the study

Allergy to ketamine
Participants for whom being off of medication is not clinically recommended
Medical conditions that make participation unsafe (e.g. high blood pressure, head injury)
Currently on medications that make participation unsafe

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Ketamine, Exposure & Response Prevention	Exposure and Response Prevention	0.5mg/kg IV Ketamine infusion followed by condensed course of Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP)
Ketamine, Exposure & Response Prevention	Ketamine	0.5mg/kg IV Ketamine infusion followed by condensed course of Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of Patients Who Met and Exceeded Response Criteria of Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale	2 weeks	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.

Secondary Outcome Measures