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Cognitive Recovery After Electroconvulsive Therapy and General Anesthesia

Cognitive Recovery After Electroconvulsive Therapy and General Anesthesia Reconstitution of Consciousness and Cognition (Phase 2)

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02761330
Acronym
RCC2
Enrollment
17
Registered
2016-05-04
Start date
2016-04-30
Completion date
2019-09-11
Last updated
2021-06-28

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

Conditions

Cognitive Disorders, Delirium, Depression, Seizures

Keywords

Anesthesia, Electroconvulsive therapy, Delirium, Electroencephalography, Seizures, Depression, Ketamine, Etomidate, Physiological Effects of Drugs, Pharmacologic Actions, Confusion, Mental Disorders, Neurobehavioral Manifestations, Signs and Symptoms, Neurologic Manifestations, Cognitive Disorders

Brief summary

This study is geared toward characterizing the recovery of brain activity and cognitive function following treatments of electroconvulsive therapy and ketamine general anesthesia.

Detailed description

Seizures are often associated with loss of consciousness, possibly through effects on sub-cortical arousal systems, disruption of cortical-subcortical interactions, and ultimately through depressed neocortical function. Furthermore, people are often confused in the post-ictal state even when consciousness returns after a seizure. Disrupted cognitive function during the postictal phase has not been fully characterized but presents short and long-term implications. Many experience an acute disorder of attention, consciousness, and cognition, referred to as delirium. Memory deficits are also common. The neurobiology for these phenomena are incomplete and challenging to test, as seizures are typically sporadic and vary in intensity and character. In contrast, the setting of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) provides the opportunity to study the reconstitution of consciousness and cognition following seizures in an elective and predictable context. There is no standard agent used to induce general anesthesia during ECT. Ketamine is receiving greater attention as an infusion for treating depression and for its potential benefits on improving ECT efficacy and expediting cognitive recovery. Further data are needed to determine whether ketamine may improve recovery of cognitive function relative to etomidate, a commonly used anesthetic for general anesthesia during ECT. The investigators will evaluate the cognition function and electroencephalographic patterns that accompany the recovery from ECT and general anesthesia. Twenty patients with refractory depression will be randomized in this interventional single-blinded randomized crossover trial. Each patient will complete seven study visits. The first visit will be conducted during the dose-charge titration ECT treatment with etomidate anesthesia. After this session, patients will be randomized to three sessions each week for two weeks (six treatments total). Over the first week patients will be randomized in order for three treatment arms: (1) etomidate general anesthesia and ECT, (2) ketamine general anesthesia and ECT, and (3) ketamine alone. Patients will be blinded to the treatment arm for each session. Baseline and post-treatment measurements of cognition and ECT will be acquired on each of the six treatment sessions. Patients that agree will have a MRI.

Interventions

DRUGKetamine

Ketamine will be used to induce general anesthesia with or without subsequent ECT. Within a single patient, the dose will remain consistent throughout the study and is estimated to be 2 mg/kg.

PROCEDUREElectroconvulsive Therapy

Dose of the ECT charge will be determined during titration session prior to randomization.

Sponsors

James S McDonnell Foundation
CollaboratorOTHER
Washington University School of Medicine
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Treatment resistant depression requiring outpatient ECT * Planned right unilateral ECT stimulation * English speaking * Able to provide written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

* Known brain lesion or neurological illness that causes cognitive impairment * Schizophrenia * Schizoaffective disorder * Blindness or deafness or motor impediments that may impair performance for cognitive testing battery * Inadequate ECT seizure duration with etomidate

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of Recovery0, 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes following return of consciousness, assessed on treatment days 1-6.A cognitive test battery was administered at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes following return of consciousness after general anesthesia on each treatment day (1-6). The data from each treatment day (1-6) were averaged for analyses. Cognition Test Battery: * Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) * Digital Symbol Substitution Task (DSST) * Motor Praxis Task (MP) * Visual Object Learning Task (VOLT) * Abstract Matching (AM) Rate of Recovery for this measure is defined as the time (in inverse hours) for participants to return to their baseline performance for each task.
Change in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial Decrement0, 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes following return of consciousness, assessed on treatment days 1-6.A cognitive test battery was administered at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes following return of consciousness after general anesthesia on each treatment day (1-6). The data from each treatment day (1-6) were averaged for analyses. Cognition Test Battery: * Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) * Digital Symbol Substitution Task (DSST) * Motor Praxis Task (MP) * Visual Object Learning Task (VOLT) * Abstract Matching (AM) Initial Decrement for this measure is defined as the difference between response times (in seconds) at baseline and t=0 for each task.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Delirium Incidence and SeverityImmediately following return of consciousness (t=0) during treatment days 1-6.Assessed using 3D Confusion Assessment Method (CAM). The groups/arms for this outcome are separated by anesthetic regimen; however, due to the crossover design of this study all participants are included in analyses for each group.
Suicidalityassessed at baseline on treatment days 1-6.The groups/arms for this outcome are combined as a whole-group analysis due to the crossover design of this study, as pre-specified by the study protocol. Breaking up the analyses into the various arms of the study would change our scientific questions and approach. All participants included in analyses completed all treatments, the various arms for the study vary only in the order in which participants received each treatment. These data show the change in suicidality from baseline to treatment 6 based on the Scale of Suicide Ideation. The measure completed was the Scale of Suicide Ideation. For this study, participants completed the following questions of the questionnaire: 1. wish to live (0 Moderate to Strong, 1 Weak, 2 None) 2. wish to die (0 None, 1 Weak, 2 Moderate to Strong) The total scores range from 0-4. Lower scores indicate high suicide ideation, and high scores indicate low suicide ideation.
ECT Seizure Durationup to days 1-6Duration (in seconds) of seizure induced by ECT treatment
ECT Electrical DoseFirst ECT treatment session during Treatment Week 1The electrical dose necessary for seizure induction is determined during a dose-charge titration session prior to participant randomization and session 1. These results report the average electrical dose across all participants for the first treatment session during Treatment Week 1. The range for these data is 0 - 100% electrical charge.
Subjective Assessment of Whether ECT Was Performed, Determined by Asking the Patient.Assessed at 120 minutes after return of responsiveness on treatment days 1-6To assess patient blinding of treatment performed, the patient will be asked: Based on how you feel, did you have ECT today? Results indicate participants correctly answering the subjective assessment.
Change in Mood Assessed Using the Mood Self-Assessment Manikinbaseline and 120 minutes after return of responsiveness, assessed on treatment days 1-6Mood Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) Scale: 1 (very unpleasant) - 9 (very pleasant). The groups/arms for this outcome are combined as a whole-group analysis due to the Crossover design of this study, as pre-specified by the study protocol. Breaking up the analyses into the various arms of the study would change our scientific questions and approach. Further, any statistical analyses would be underpowered due to low participant numbers in each arm. Thus, the results are combined and reported as a whole group analysis. All participants included in analyses completed all treatments included in the study, the various arms for the study vary only in the order in which participants received each treatment. These data show the change in mood from baseline to treatment 6 based on the SAM. Additionally, data collected at baseline are not dependent on the study group/arm.
Average Change in Mood Based on the Depression PROMIS-CATbaseline and 120 minutes after return of responsiveness, assessed on treatment days 1-6PROMIS-CAT (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Computer Adaptive Testing) for depression The groups/arms for this outcome are combined as a whole-group analysis due to the Crossover design of this study, as pre-specified by the study protocol. Breaking up the analyses into the various arms of the study would change our scientific questions and approach. Further, any statistical analyses would be underpowered due to low participant numbers in each arm. Thus, the results are combined and reported as a whole group analysis. All participants included in analyses completed all treatments included in the study, the various arms for the study vary only in the order in which participants received each treatment. These data show the change in mood from baseline to treatment 6 based on the PROMIS-CAT. Additionally, data collected at baseline are not dependent on the study group/arm.
Change in Delta Band (0.5-4 Hz) Relative Power in the Scale EEG During Recoverybaseline, post-ECT from 0-120 minutesHigh-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as the percent of total power in the delta band over the sum of total power between 0.5 - 70Hz.
Change in Theta Band (4-8 Hz) Relative Power in the Scalp EEG During Recoverybaseline, post-ECT from 0-120 minutesHigh-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as the percent of total power in the theta band over the sum of total power between 0.5 - 70Hz.
Change in Alpha Band (8-13 Hz) Power in the Scalp EEG During Recoverybaseline, post-ECT from 0-120 minutesHigh-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as the percent of total power in the alpha band over the sum of total power between 0.5 - 70Hz.
Change in Beta Band (13-20 Hz) Relative Power in the Scalp EEG During Recoverybaseline, post-ECT from 0-120 minutesHigh-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as the percent of total power in the beta band over the sum of total power between 0.5 - 70Hz.
Change in Anterior-Posterior Functional Connectivity in the Scalp During Recoverybaseline, post-ECT from 0-120 minutesHigh-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as the coherence measure, which is used for tracking changes in anterior-posterior functional connectivity. Coherence is a measure of synchronization between two signals which is used to measure anterior-posterior functional connectivity. Coherence is a unitless measure between 0 and 1. High coherence between time-series of two neural populations reflects higher efficiency in communication between those populations and therefore stronger functional connectivity.
Change in Anterior-Posterior Phase-lag in the Scalp EEG During Recoverybaseline, post-ECT from 0 -120 minutesHigh-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Phase-lag was assessed using the Phase-Lag Index (PLI), a measure ranging from 0 - 1. A consistent phase-lag between two tim-series results in a PLI of 1. A time-series without coupling results in a PLI near or equaling 0. Results show the difference in anterior-posterior PLI between baseline and post-ECT.
Change in EEG Entropy in the Scalp EEG During Recoverybaseline, Post-ECT from 0 -120 minutesHigh-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as permutation entropy (PE) measures in posterior regions, which we are using to track changes in scalp EEG entropy. Permutation Entropy (PE) is a measure that is used to quantify the complexity of time series signals. It is a unitless measure between 0 and 1. Lower the PE represents a more regular and more deterministic time series while higher PE represents a more complex time series.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Recruitment details

17 patients were enrolled for study participation between May 2016 and July 2018 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO.

Pre-assignment details

14 of 17 participants were randomized. Of those not randomized, 1 participant's treatment course was canceled by clinical staff, 1 participant withdrew consent prior to any study participation, and 1 participant was deemed ineligible.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
AllParticipants
All participants enrolled in study procedures.
15
Total15

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001FG002FG003FG004FG005
Treatment Week 1Withdrawal by Subject000101

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicAllParticipants
Age, Continuous37 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 13.56
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
0 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
15 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
15 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
8 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
7 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 150 / 150 / 15
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 150 / 150 / 15
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 150 / 150 / 15

Outcome results

Primary

Change in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial Decrement

A cognitive test battery was administered at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes following return of consciousness after general anesthesia on each treatment day (1-6). The data from each treatment day (1-6) were averaged for analyses. Cognition Test Battery: * Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) * Digital Symbol Substitution Task (DSST) * Motor Praxis Task (MP) * Visual Object Learning Task (VOLT) * Abstract Matching (AM) Initial Decrement for this measure is defined as the difference between response times (in seconds) at baseline and t=0 for each task.

Time frame: 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes following return of consciousness, assessed on treatment days 1-6.

Population: Participants with cogntive task data complete for the majority of timepoints following return of responsiveness for more than one treatment day were included in analyses. Additional participants were excluded for individual cognitive task measures for being extreme outliers.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEDIAN)
Etomidate + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementVOLT Initial Decrement4.9 seconds
Etomidate + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementMP Initial Decrement1.9 seconds
Etomidate + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementPVT Initial Decrement0.4 seconds
Etomidate + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementDSST Initial Decrement2.4 seconds
Etomidate + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementAM Initial Decrement3.2 seconds
Ketamine + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementMP Initial Decrement3.0 seconds
Ketamine + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementPVT Initial Decrement3.5 seconds
Ketamine + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementDSST Initial Decrement5.1 seconds
Ketamine + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementVOLT Initial Decrement20.9 seconds
Ketamine + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementAM Initial Decrement2.0 seconds
Ketamine AloneChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementAM Initial Decrement6.7 seconds
Ketamine AloneChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementVOLT Initial Decrement6.5 seconds
Ketamine AloneChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementPVT Initial Decrement6.8 seconds
Ketamine AloneChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementMP Initial Decrement2.4 seconds
Ketamine AloneChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Initial DecrementDSST Initial Decrement3.1 seconds
Comparison: Comparison between the Etomidate + ECT and Ketamine + ECT groups for the initial decrement of Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) reaction time.p-value: 0.016Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Ketamine + ECT and Ketamine Alone groups for the recovery rate of Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) reaction time.p-value: 0.039Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Etomidate + ECT and Ketamine + ECT groups for the initial decrement of Digital Symbol Substitution Task (DSST) reaction time.p-value: 0.031Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Ketamine + ECT and Ketamine Alone groups for the initial decrement of Digital Symbol Substitution Task (DSST) reaction time.p-value: 1Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Etomidate + ECT and Ketamine + ECT groups for the initial decrement of Motor Praxis task (MP) reaction time.p-value: 0.195Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Ketamine + ECT and Ketamine Alone groups for the initial decrement of Motor Praxis task (MP) reaction time.p-value: 0.57Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Etomidate + ECT and Ketamine + ECT groups for the initial decrement of Visual Object Learning Task (VOLT) reaction time.p-value: 0.031Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Ketamine + ECT and Ketamine Alone groups for the initial decrement of Visual Object Learning Task (VOLT) reaction time.p-value: 0.016Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Etomidate + ECT and Ketamine + ECT groups for the initial decrement of Abstract Matching (AM) task reaction time.p-value: 1Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Ketamine + ECT and Ketamine Alone groups for the initial decrement of Abstract Matching (AM) task reaction time.p-value: 0.109Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Primary

Change in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of Recovery

A cognitive test battery was administered at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes following return of consciousness after general anesthesia on each treatment day (1-6). The data from each treatment day (1-6) were averaged for analyses. Cognition Test Battery: * Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) * Digital Symbol Substitution Task (DSST) * Motor Praxis Task (MP) * Visual Object Learning Task (VOLT) * Abstract Matching (AM) Rate of Recovery for this measure is defined as the time (in inverse hours) for participants to return to their baseline performance for each task.

Time frame: 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes following return of consciousness, assessed on treatment days 1-6.

Population: Participants with cogntive task data complete for the majority of timepoints following return of responsiveness for more than one treatment day were included in analyses. Additional participants were excluded for individual cognitive task measures for being extreme outliers.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEDIAN)
Etomidate + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryVOLT Reaction Time9.2 inverse hours
Etomidate + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryMP Reaction Time3.9 inverse hours
Etomidate + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryPVT Reaction Time3.5 inverse hours
Etomidate + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryDSST Reaction Time9.7 inverse hours
Etomidate + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryAM Reaction Time4.8 inverse hours
Ketamine + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryMP Reaction Time2.5 inverse hours
Ketamine + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryPVT Reaction Time6.3 inverse hours
Ketamine + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryDSST Reaction Time3.0 inverse hours
Ketamine + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryVOLT Reaction Time11.6 inverse hours
Ketamine + ECTChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryAM Reaction Time1.6 inverse hours
Ketamine AloneChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryAM Reaction Time2.3 inverse hours
Ketamine AloneChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryVOLT Reaction Time3.1 inverse hours
Ketamine AloneChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryPVT Reaction Time24.7 inverse hours
Ketamine AloneChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryMP Reaction Time2.6 inverse hours
Ketamine AloneChange in Cognitive Function During Recovery: Rate of RecoveryDSST Reaction Time2.9 inverse hours
Comparison: Comparison between the Etomidate + ECT and Ketamine + ECT groups for the recovery rate of Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) reaction time.p-value: 0.016Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Ketamine + ECT and Ketamine Alone groups for the recovery rate of Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) reaction time.p-value: 0.012Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Etomidate + ECT and Ketamine + ECT groups for the recovery rate of Digital Symbol Substitution Task (DSST) reaction time.p-value: 0.031Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Ketamine + ECT and Ketamine Alone groups for the recovery rate of Digital Symbol Substitution Task (DSST) reaction time.p-value: 0.203Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Etomidate + ECT and Ketamine + ECT groups for the recovery rate of Motor Praxis Task (MP) reaction time.p-value: 0.008Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Ketamine + ECT and Ketamine Alone groups for the recovery rate of Motor Praxis Task (MP) reaction time.p-value: 0.496Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Etomidate + ECT and Ketamine + ECT groups for the recovery rate of Visual Object Learning Task (VOLT) reaction time.p-value: 0.844Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Ketamine + ECT and Ketamine Alone groups for the recovery rate of Visual Object Learning Task (VOLT) reaction time.p-value: 0.016Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Etomidate + ECT and Ketamine + ECT groups for the recovery rate of Abstract Matching task (AM) reaction time.p-value: 0.062Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison between the Ketamine + ECT and Ketamine Alone groups for the recovery rate of Abstract Matching task (AM) reaction time.p-value: 0.039Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Secondary

Average Change in Mood Based on the Depression PROMIS-CAT

PROMIS-CAT (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Computer Adaptive Testing) for depression The groups/arms for this outcome are combined as a whole-group analysis due to the Crossover design of this study, as pre-specified by the study protocol. Breaking up the analyses into the various arms of the study would change our scientific questions and approach. Further, any statistical analyses would be underpowered due to low participant numbers in each arm. Thus, the results are combined and reported as a whole group analysis. All participants included in analyses completed all treatments included in the study, the various arms for the study vary only in the order in which participants received each treatment. These data show the change in mood from baseline to treatment 6 based on the PROMIS-CAT. Additionally, data collected at baseline are not dependent on the study group/arm.

Time frame: baseline and 120 minutes after return of responsiveness, assessed on treatment days 1-6

Population: All 13 participants who completed the depression PROMS-CAT both before and after treatment (baseline and 120 minutes following return of responsiveness) on at least one treatment day.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Etomidate + ECTAverage Change in Mood Based on the Depression PROMIS-CAT-0.5108 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.975
Secondary

Change in Alpha Band (8-13 Hz) Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery

High-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as the percent of total power in the alpha band over the sum of total power between 0.5 - 70Hz.

Time frame: baseline, post-ECT from 0-120 minutes

Population: Participants with EEG data collected at baseline at T0 post-ECT for at least 1 ECT session were included in analyses.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Etomidate + ECTChange in Alpha Band (8-13 Hz) Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery0.016 percent of total power
Ketamine + ECTChange in Alpha Band (8-13 Hz) Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery0.053 percent of total power
Ketamine AloneChange in Alpha Band (8-13 Hz) Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery0.006 percent of total power
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the alpha band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.164Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the alpha band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.039Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the alpha band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.375Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Secondary

Change in Anterior-Posterior Functional Connectivity in the Scalp During Recovery

High-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as the coherence measure, which is used for tracking changes in anterior-posterior functional connectivity. Coherence is a measure of synchronization between two signals which is used to measure anterior-posterior functional connectivity. Coherence is a unitless measure between 0 and 1. High coherence between time-series of two neural populations reflects higher efficiency in communication between those populations and therefore stronger functional connectivity.

Time frame: baseline, post-ECT from 0-120 minutes

Population: Participants with EEG data collected at baseline at T0 post-ECT for at least 1 ECT session were included in analyses.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Etomidate + ECTChange in Anterior-Posterior Functional Connectivity in the Scalp During Recovery-0.014 unitless
Ketamine + ECTChange in Anterior-Posterior Functional Connectivity in the Scalp During Recovery-0.002 unitless
Ketamine AloneChange in Anterior-Posterior Functional Connectivity in the Scalp During Recovery-0.004 unitless
Comparison: Comparison of anterior-posterior functional connectivity (coherence) at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.129Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of anterior-posterior functional connectivity (coherence) at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.91Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of anterior-posterior functional connectivity (coherence) at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.625Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Secondary

Change in Anterior-Posterior Phase-lag in the Scalp EEG During Recovery

High-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Phase-lag was assessed using the Phase-Lag Index (PLI), a measure ranging from 0 - 1. A consistent phase-lag between two tim-series results in a PLI of 1. A time-series without coupling results in a PLI near or equaling 0. Results show the difference in anterior-posterior PLI between baseline and post-ECT.

Time frame: baseline, post-ECT from 0 -120 minutes

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Etomidate + ECTChange in Anterior-Posterior Phase-lag in the Scalp EEG During Recovery-0.001 Phase Lag Index (PLI)
Ketamine + ECTChange in Anterior-Posterior Phase-lag in the Scalp EEG During Recovery-0.049 Phase Lag Index (PLI)
Ketamine AloneChange in Anterior-Posterior Phase-lag in the Scalp EEG During Recovery-0.017 Phase Lag Index (PLI)
Comparison: Comparison of anterior-posterior phase-lag (PLI) at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 1Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of anterior-posterior phase-lag (PLI) at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.496Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of anterior-posterior phase-lag (PLI) at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.16Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Secondary

Change in Beta Band (13-20 Hz) Relative Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery

High-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as the percent of total power in the beta band over the sum of total power between 0.5 - 70Hz.

Time frame: baseline, post-ECT from 0-120 minutes

Population: Participants with EEG data collected at baseline at T0 post-ECT for at least 1 ECT session were included in analyses.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Etomidate + ECTChange in Beta Band (13-20 Hz) Relative Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery-0.001 percent of total power
Ketamine + ECTChange in Beta Band (13-20 Hz) Relative Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery-0.004 percent of total power
Ketamine AloneChange in Beta Band (13-20 Hz) Relative Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery-0.008 percent of total power
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the beta band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.91Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the beta band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.91Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the beta band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.625Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Secondary

Change in Delta Band (0.5-4 Hz) Relative Power in the Scale EEG During Recovery

High-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as the percent of total power in the delta band over the sum of total power between 0.5 - 70Hz.

Time frame: baseline, post-ECT from 0-120 minutes

Population: Participants with EEG data collected at baseline at T0 post-ECT for at least 1 ECT session were included in analyses.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Etomidate + ECTChange in Delta Band (0.5-4 Hz) Relative Power in the Scale EEG During Recovery-0.064 percent of total power
Ketamine + ECTChange in Delta Band (0.5-4 Hz) Relative Power in the Scale EEG During Recovery-0.111 percent of total power
Ketamine AloneChange in Delta Band (0.5-4 Hz) Relative Power in the Scale EEG During Recovery-0.038 percent of total power
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the delta band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.301Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the delta band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.301Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the delta band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.557Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Secondary

Change in EEG Entropy in the Scalp EEG During Recovery

High-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as permutation entropy (PE) measures in posterior regions, which we are using to track changes in scalp EEG entropy. Permutation Entropy (PE) is a measure that is used to quantify the complexity of time series signals. It is a unitless measure between 0 and 1. Lower the PE represents a more regular and more deterministic time series while higher PE represents a more complex time series.

Time frame: baseline, Post-ECT from 0 -120 minutes

Population: Participants with EEG data collected at baseline at T0 post-ECT for at least 1 ECT session were included in analyses.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Etomidate + ECTChange in EEG Entropy in the Scalp EEG During Recovery-0.018 unitless
Ketamine + ECTChange in EEG Entropy in the Scalp EEG During Recovery-0.003 unitless
Ketamine AloneChange in EEG Entropy in the Scalp EEG During Recovery-0.006 unitless
Comparison: Comparison of EEG Entropy using Permutation Entropy (PE) measures at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.008Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison of EEG Entropy using Permutation Entropy (PE) measures at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.359Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Comparison: Comparison of EEG Entropy using Permutation Entropy (PE) measures at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.375Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked Test
Secondary

Change in Mood Assessed Using the Mood Self-Assessment Manikin

Mood Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) Scale: 1 (very unpleasant) - 9 (very pleasant). The groups/arms for this outcome are combined as a whole-group analysis due to the Crossover design of this study, as pre-specified by the study protocol. Breaking up the analyses into the various arms of the study would change our scientific questions and approach. Further, any statistical analyses would be underpowered due to low participant numbers in each arm. Thus, the results are combined and reported as a whole group analysis. All participants included in analyses completed all treatments included in the study, the various arms for the study vary only in the order in which participants received each treatment. These data show the change in mood from baseline to treatment 6 based on the SAM. Additionally, data collected at baseline are not dependent on the study group/arm.

Time frame: baseline and 120 minutes after return of responsiveness, assessed on treatment days 1-6

Population: The average change in SAM score from baseline to t=120 for all sessions across all participants (t=120 - baseline).

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Etomidate + ECTChange in Mood Assessed Using the Mood Self-Assessment Manikin-0.266 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.043
Secondary

Change in Theta Band (4-8 Hz) Relative Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery

High-density EEG collected during 5-minute epochs of eyes-closed quiet resting at baseline and post-ECT. Results are reported as the percent of total power in the theta band over the sum of total power between 0.5 - 70Hz.

Time frame: baseline, post-ECT from 0-120 minutes

Population: Participants with EEG data collected at baseline at T0 post-ECT for at least 1 ECT session were included in analyses.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Etomidate + ECTChange in Theta Band (4-8 Hz) Relative Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery-0.008 percent of total power
Ketamine + ECTChange in Theta Band (4-8 Hz) Relative Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery-0.015 percent of total power
Ketamine AloneChange in Theta Band (4-8 Hz) Relative Power in the Scalp EEG During Recovery0.015 percent of total power
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the theta band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.91Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the theta band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.734Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Comparison: Comparison of relative power in the theta band at baseline compared to T0 following return of responsiveness.p-value: 0.322Wilcoxon signed-rank paired test
Secondary

Delirium Incidence and Severity

Assessed using 3D Confusion Assessment Method (CAM). The groups/arms for this outcome are separated by anesthetic regimen; however, due to the crossover design of this study all participants are included in analyses for each group.

Time frame: Immediately following return of consciousness (t=0) during treatment days 1-6.

Population: All participants (12) who completed both baseline and t=0 delirium assessments on at least one treatment day.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (NUMBER)
Etomidate + ECTDelirium Incidence and SeverityNegative Delirium at t=020 Delirium Assessments
Etomidate + ECTDelirium Incidence and SeverityNegative Delirium at Baseline20 Delirium Assessments
Etomidate + ECTDelirium Incidence and SeverityPositive Delirium at t=01 Delirium Assessments
Etomidate + ECTDelirium Incidence and SeverityPositive Delirium at Baseline1 Delirium Assessments
Ketamine + ECTDelirium Incidence and SeverityPositive Delirium at t=00 Delirium Assessments
Ketamine + ECTDelirium Incidence and SeverityNegative Delirium at t=023 Delirium Assessments
Ketamine + ECTDelirium Incidence and SeverityPositive Delirium at Baseline0 Delirium Assessments
Ketamine + ECTDelirium Incidence and SeverityNegative Delirium at Baseline23 Delirium Assessments
Ketamine AloneDelirium Incidence and SeverityNegative Delirium at t=019 Delirium Assessments
Ketamine AloneDelirium Incidence and SeverityNegative Delirium at Baseline23 Delirium Assessments
Ketamine AloneDelirium Incidence and SeverityPositive Delirium at t=02 Delirium Assessments
Ketamine AloneDelirium Incidence and SeverityPositive Delirium at Baseline0 Delirium Assessments
Secondary

ECT Electrical Dose

The electrical dose necessary for seizure induction is determined during a dose-charge titration session prior to participant randomization and session 1. These results report the average electrical dose across all participants for the first treatment session during Treatment Week 1. The range for these data is 0 - 100% electrical charge.

Time frame: First ECT treatment session during Treatment Week 1

Population: Results are shown for all 13 participants who completed at least one treatment session following the dose charge titration session.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Etomidate + ECTECT Electrical Dose32.5 percentage of electrical chargeStandard Deviation 8.66
Secondary

ECT Seizure Duration

Duration (in seconds) of seizure induced by ECT treatment

Time frame: up to days 1-6

Population: These data were not collected from patient ECT procedure records and therefore were not analyzed.

Secondary

Subjective Assessment of Whether ECT Was Performed, Determined by Asking the Patient.

To assess patient blinding of treatment performed, the patient will be asked: Based on how you feel, did you have ECT today? Results indicate participants correctly answering the subjective assessment.

Time frame: Assessed at 120 minutes after return of responsiveness on treatment days 1-6

Population: The sample analyzed for each group consists of the total number of treatments performed with paired subjective assessments out of 12 participants.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_UNITS)
Etomidate + ECTSubjective Assessment of Whether ECT Was Performed, Determined by Asking the Patient.18 Subjective Assessments w/ paired Tx
Ketamine + ECTSubjective Assessment of Whether ECT Was Performed, Determined by Asking the Patient.18 Subjective Assessments w/ paired Tx
Ketamine AloneSubjective Assessment of Whether ECT Was Performed, Determined by Asking the Patient.6 Subjective Assessments w/ paired Tx
Secondary

Suicidality

The groups/arms for this outcome are combined as a whole-group analysis due to the crossover design of this study, as pre-specified by the study protocol. Breaking up the analyses into the various arms of the study would change our scientific questions and approach. All participants included in analyses completed all treatments, the various arms for the study vary only in the order in which participants received each treatment. These data show the change in suicidality from baseline to treatment 6 based on the Scale of Suicide Ideation. The measure completed was the Scale of Suicide Ideation. For this study, participants completed the following questions of the questionnaire: 1. wish to live (0 Moderate to Strong, 1 Weak, 2 None) 2. wish to die (0 None, 1 Weak, 2 Moderate to Strong) The total scores range from 0-4. Lower scores indicate high suicide ideation, and high scores indicate low suicide ideation.

Time frame: assessed at baseline on treatment days 1-6.

Population: 114 Assessments of suicidality were completed across 13 participants on days 1-6. Data reported show the average change in suicidality from baseline to treatment 6 based on the Scale of Suicide Ideation.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Etomidate + ECTSuicidalityChange in Will to live0.077 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 0.277
Etomidate + ECTSuicidalityChange in Will to die0.077 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 0.277

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 26, 2026