Ketamine-assisted Integrative Treatment for Veterans With Chronic Low Back Pain and Comorbid Depression

Summary

This is a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of ketamine infusions followed by a brief behavioral intervention in Veterans with chronic low back pain and depression.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

* Veterans with self-report of moderate to severe, high impact chronic low back pain (defined as 4/10 in severity via NRS, present 3 months on most days) and associated pain interference (defined as T-score 60 on the PROMIS Pain Interference measure), and current significant depressive symptoms (defined as a score 11 on the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms - Self Report (QIDS-SR).
* Medically stable (no hospitalizations in the past month lasting 3 days).
* No changes in pain or depression medication regimen in 4 weeks.
* No planned surgery, injections, hospitalizations, or other new interventions for back pain (except for physical therapy or exercise) or depression during the next four months (study duration).
* Participants must have an adult who can drive them home after the ketamine treatments.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Inability to speak English due to the narrative intervention being conducted in English.
* Inability or unwillingness to provide written informed consent (e.g. current delirium).
* Current psychotic symptoms, or history of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and other psychotic disorder.
* Currently participating in another clinical trial for pain or depression.
* Current uncontrolled hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure \>160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure \>100 mmHg).
* Known elevated intracranial pressure, cerebral arterial aneurysm, or elevated intraocular pressure.
* History of cirrhosis or unstable cardiac condition (e.g., decompensated congestive heart failure).
* Any of the following lab values \>2x upper limit of normal: alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transferase (AST), direct bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine; thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) \<2x lower limit of normal or \>2x upper limit of normal.
* Positive urine pregnancy test or lack of birth control method in Veterans of childbearing potential.
* Known hypersensitivity to any excipient in the ketamine injection formulation.
* Previously experienced serious adverse effects with ketamine.
* On day of ketamine infusions, a urine drug screen positive for non-prescribed substances(s) (except cannabis) will exclude a participant from receiving ketamine
* Current or previous abuse of ketamine.

Conditions2

Locations1 site

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