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Brief Report: Intranasal Ketamine in Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder-Initial Results of a Randomized, Controlled, Crossover, Pilot Study.

Logan K Wink, Debra L Reisinger, Paul Horn, Rebecca C Shaffer, Kaela O'Brien, Lauren Schmitt, Kelli R Dominick, Ernest V Pedapati, Craig A Erickson

Journal of autism and developmental disorders April 2021 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04542-z (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled trial Placebo-controlled Double-blind Pilot study Peer reviewed
Sample size 21
Population Individuals with autism spectrum disorder aged 14 to 29 years
Interventions Intranasal ketamine placebo
Dose 30 and 50 mg
Measures Aberrant Behavior Checklist Social Withdraw subscale
Topics Ketamine Esketamine
Keywords Autism Clinical trial
Key findings Intranasal ketamine at 30 mg and 50 mg did not significantly improve social withdrawal in autism spectrum disorder, as measured by the Aberrant Behavior Checklist Social Withdraw subscale. The treatment was well tolerated, with only transient mild adverse effects.

Abstract

Dysregulation of glutamate neurotransmission plays a critical role in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) pathophysiology and is a primary target for core deficit research treatment trials. The mechanism of action of ketamine has striking overlap with the theory of ASD as a disorder of synaptic communication and neuronal networks. This two-dose, double-blind, placebo controlled, cross-over pilot trial of intranasal (IN) ketamine targeting core social impairment included individuals with ASD (N = 21) between 14 and 29 years. Participants were randomized to received two doses of IN ketamine (30 and 50 mg) and two doses of matching placebo. No significant impact was noted on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist Social Withdraw subscale. The IN ketamine was well tolerated, with only transient mild adverse effects.

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on ketamine, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Subanesthetic Effects of the Noncompetitive NMDA Antagonist, Ketamine, in Humans Healthy human subjects recruited from the community 1994 Randomized controlled trial n = 19
Antidepressant Efficacy of Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression: A Two-Site Randomized Controlled Trial Patients with treatment-resistant major depression experiencing a major depressive episode 2013 Randomized controlled trial n = 73
Remifentanil-induced Postoperative Hyperalgesia and Its Prevention with Small-dose Ketamine Patients undergoing major abdominal surgery 2005 Randomized controlled trial n = 75
Efficacy of Intravenous Ketamine for Treatment of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Patients with chronic PTSD related to a range of trauma exposures 2014 Randomized controlled trial n = 41
Ketamine-Induced Deficits in Auditory and Visual Context-Dependent Processing in Healthy Volunteers Healthy volunteers 2000 Single-blind placebo-controlled study n = 20

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Ketamine Esketamine