The purpose of this research study is to learn more about how ketamine and sleep deprivation may affect mood and neurobiology in individuals with treatment-resistant depression. We hope the findings from this study help develop future treatments for mood disorders.

You may qualify for a study if you meet the following criteria.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ages 25-50 years
• Have treatment-resistant depression (previous failure of at least two previous antidepressant or mood stabilizing treatments)
• If using psychoactive medications (e.g., SSRIs, benzodiazepines, glutamate modulators), willing to discontinue use for the study
• No major psychiatric conditions (e.g., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia)
• No substance dependence
• No prior treatment and/or recreational use of ketamine or prior participation in another study of ketamine for depression
• No major conditions (e.g., dementia, cardiac disease, lung disease, kidney disease)
• No major neurological conditions
• Speak English

This study requires you to sleep 4 nights at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

This study begins with a virtual screening session and an interview about your mental health. You will then be asked to complete a sleep diary for 7 days leading up to your in-person study visit.

You will then be asked to spend 4 nights at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, which will consist of the adaptation night, the baseline night, the experimental night, and the recovery night. During the experimental night, you may be placed into one of the 3 following groups, where you will receive one of the following treatments: 

• Ketamine infusion
• Sleep deprivation
• Control condition: sleep in laboratory + placebo infusion

At the end of the study, you will also have your blood drawn, complete a mood assessment battery, complete a cognitive task battery, and undergo neuroimaging.

As a participant, you can receive up to $1,000 for completing all study activities.

There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.