ELEctroconvulsive therapy (ECT) vs. Ketamine in patients with Treatment-resistant Depression: The ELEKT-D study protocol.
Contemporary Clinical Trials February 1, 2019 S. Mathew, S. Wilkinson, Murat Altinay et al. 54 citations
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and ketamine show similar response rates for treatment-resistant depression, but a head-to-head comparison in a large, well-powered trial has been lacking. This protocol describes a non-inferiority trial randomizing 400 patients with treatment-resistant depression to receive either ECT thrice weekly or intravenous ketamine twice weekly for 3-5 weeks. The primary outcome is the proportion of responders based on a patient-reported depression scale. The study is designed to determine whether ketamine retains at least 90% of ECT's treatment effect. Results will inform patient choice, clinical practice, and insurance policies.