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The psychoactive effects of repeated ketamine infusions and their mechanistic role in the treatment of alcohol use disorder: Secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial

Cassie Bloy, Ananya Sarma, Bethan Marsh, Lorna Hardy, Meryem Grabski, Merve Mollaahmetoglu, Joshua Shotton, Shamhethan Bhaskaran, Anne Lingford‐hughes, H. Val Curran, Celia Janet Ann Morgan, Will Lawn

Addiction February 16, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/add.70320 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Population People with alcohol use disorder
Intervention Intravenous ketamine
Dose 0.8 mg/kg
Topics Addiction Ketamine Esketamine
Keywords Randomized controlled trial Anesthesia Alcohol consumption Clinical trial Poison control Meta-analysis Alcohol dependence
Citations 1
Key findings Ketamine-related reductions in alcohol consumption do not appear to be mediated by the acute psychoactive effects of ketamine.

Abstract

People with alcohol use disorder experience alterations in consciousness from 0.8 mg/kg intravenous ketamine administration. Ketamine's effects appear to be broadly consistent across three repeated infusions. Ketamine-related reductions in alcohol consumption do not appear to be mediated by the acute psychoactive effects of ketamine.

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on ketamine for addiction, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Ketamine psychotherapy for heroin addiction: immediate effects and two-year follow-up. Detoxified heroin-addicted patients 2002 Randomized controlled trial n = 70
A Single Ketamine Infusion Combined With Motivational Enhancement Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Midazolam-Controlled Pilot Trial. Adults with alcohol dependence engaged in motivational enhancement therapy 2019 Randomized controlled trial n = 40
A Single Ketamine Infusion Combined With Mindfulness-Based Behavioral Modification to Treat Cocaine Dependence: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Cocaine-dependent adults 2019 Randomized controlled trial n = 55
Single Versus Repeated Sessions of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for People with Heroin Dependence Detoxified inpatients with heroin dependence 2007 Randomized controlled trial n = 59
Adjunctive Ketamine With Relapse Prevention–Based Psychological Therapy in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder Patients with severe alcohol use disorder 2022 Randomized controlled trial n = 96

Citations in the library

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Addiction Ketamine Esketamine Altered states of consciousness

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