JAMA Psychiatry
June 1, 2026
Ben Deverett, Duan Li, Theresa R. Lii et al.
1 citation
Ketamine has well-known dissociative, analgesic, and antidepressant properties, but it is unknown whether the neurophysiologic effects that are associated with these properties can be modulated separately from one another. Considering that specific cortical oscillations have been associated with specific therapeutic effects, modulating selective aspects of ketamine neurophysiology could inform...
Pain Management
April 16, 2026
Theresa R. Lii, P. Sikka, B. Deverett et al.
INTRODUCTION Ketamine shows promise for treatment-refractory chronic pain and depression, but randomized trials risk unblinding from ketamine's acute dissociative effects. Propofol sedation may mitigate this, though it has not been prospectively tested as a masking strategy outside of surgical contexts. METHODS This protocol describes a single-center, randomized, double-blind,...
medRxiv
August 7, 2025
Ben Deverett, Duan Li, Theresa R. Lii et al.
preprint
Structured Abstract Importance Ketamine has well known dissociative, analgesic, and antidepressant properties, but it is unknown whether the neurophysiologic effects that are associated with these properties can be modulated separately from one another. Given prior studies that link specific cortical oscillations with specific therapeutic effects, it is likely that modulating selective aspects...
Journal of Affective Disorders
July 15, 2025
Theresa R. Lii, Josephine R. Flohr, Robin L. Okada et al.
1 citation
The endogenous opioid system is thought to play a role in the placebo antidepressant response. A recent trial comparing the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine versus placebo in surgical patients, some of whom were on chronic opioid therapy, revealed a substantial placebo effect. This finding provided an opportunity to test the hypothesis that opioid agonist exposure interacts with placebo...
medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences
November 2, 2024
Theresa R. Lii, Josephine R. Flohr, Robin L. Okada et al.
preprint
The endogenous opioid system is thought to play a role in the placebo antidepressant response. A recent trial comparing the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine versus placebo in surgical patients, some of whom were on chronic opioid therapy, revealed a substantial placebo effect. This finding provided an opportunity to test the hypothesis that opioid agonist exposure interacts with placebo...
Nature Mental Health
October 19, 2023
Theresa R. Lii, Ashleigh E. Smith, Josephine R. Flohr et al.
94 citations
Ketamine may have antidepressant properties, but its acute psychoactive effects complicate successful masking in placebo-controlled trials. Here we present a single-center, parallel-arm, triple-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled trial assessing the antidepressant efficacy of intravenous ketamine masked by surgical anesthesia (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03861988). Adult patients (N = 40) with...
medRxiv Preprint Server
April 28, 2023
Theresa R. Lii, Ashleigh E. Smith, Josephine R. Flohr et al.
28 citations
preprint
Abstract BACKGROUND Ketamine may have antidepressant properties, but its acute psychoactive effects complicate successful masking in placebo-controlled trials. METHODS In a triple-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 40 adult patients with major depressive disorder were randomized to a single infusion of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) or placebo (saline) during anesthesia as usual for routine...