Ketamine and Stress in OCD

This randomized, double-blind, comparator-controlled cross-over trial (n=30) will investigate the therapeutic efficacy of low dose ketamine in patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) at the Medical University of Vienna.

The study aims to assess whether ketamine can alleviate symptoms in the hours following application and whether its effects might persist for several days after a single infusion.

Participants, numbering 30, with a primary diagnosis of OCD, will undergo ketamine and comparator infusions in either inpatient or outpatient settings. The trial employs a randomized, double-blind, comparator-controlled cross-over design. Participants will receive one infusion of either ketamine or midazolam as a comparator, with the order of treatment modality randomized and double-blind.

The study will evaluate changes in OCD symptoms using various measures, including the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Visual Analogue Scale (OCD-VAS). Additionally, participants’ neurocognitive function and stress responses will be assessed using neurocognitive tasks and a cold pressor test paradigm.

The trial is led by Christoph Kraus, MD PhD, from the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. Recruitment for this study started in August 2022, and the estimated completion date is June 2023.

Trial Details



Trial Number

Sponsors & Collaborators

Medical University of Vienna
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