Comparison of Ketamine and Sodium Thiopental effects in Electroconvulsive Therapy anesthesia on Depression and Suicidal Ideation

A Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Ketamine versus Sodium Thiopental as Anesthetic Agents in Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) on Reducing Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Phase 2

Study type

Interventional

Source

IRCT

Registry ID

IRCT20241203063932N1

Enrollment

Registered

2025-08-02

Start date

2025-08-23

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-08-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Major Depressive Disorder. Major depressive disorder, recurrent

Interventions

Intervention 1: Intervention group 1: Ketamine, an anesthetic and NMDA receptor antagonist, is administered intravenously to patients at a dose of 2 mg/kg before ECT. Intervention 2: Intervention grou

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Patients 18 years and older of all genders MDD diagnosis confirmed by DSM-V criteria Active Suicidal Ideation Written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Patients with Bipolar Mood Disorder Patients with Schizophrenia Patients with Schizoaffective Disorder History of Substance abuse within the past Three Months History of significant adverse effects associated with Anesthetic agents History of Cardiovascular Diseases Patients with body Implants(e.g., Pacemakers, Intracranial Electrodes, etc.) Pregnant Women Contraindications to ECT(e.g., extensive Brain lesions, elevated Intracranial Pressure and recent Myocardial Infarction) Non-consenting individuals History of Hypertension, Cardiac conduction disorders and Tachycardia

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Depression score on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale. Timepoint: Depression and suicidal ideation will be assessed before starting ECT with ketamine and sodium thiopental, after 6 ECT sessions, and also 4 weeks after completing the sessions. Method of measurement: Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale.	—

Countries

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Contacts

Public ContactSadaf Danehzan

Zanjan University of Medical Sciences

s.danehzan@sina.zums.ac.ir+98 24 3354 4003

Outcome results

None listed

Source: IRCT (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026