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Trial registered on ANZCTR


Registration number
Help: Registration number
ACTRN12626000497303
Ethics application status
Help: Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
Help: Date submitted
26/03/2026
Date registered
Help: Date registered
22/04/2026
Date last updated
Help: Date last updated
29/09/2026
Date data sharing statement initially provided
Help: Data sharing statement date
22/04/2026
Type of registration
Help: Type of registration
Prospectively registered

Titles & IDs
Public title
Mapping Individual Functional Brain Activity Patterns in People with Treatment-Resistant Anxiety Disorders After Treatment with Ketamine
Scientific title
Precision Functional Mapping of the Human Brain using Resting State functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging – Ketamine Validation Study Among Participants with Treatment-Resistant Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and/or Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Additional trial identifiers [1] 316862 0
Nil known
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
U1111-1337-9713
Trial acronym
PFM
Related trial records

Health condition
Health condition(s) studied:
Treatment Resistant Anxiety 341237 0
Generalised Anxiety Disorder 341238 0
Social Anxiety Disorder 341241 0
Condition category
Condition code
Mental Health 337333 337333 0 0
Anxiety

Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
Description of the intervention or exposure
Single Dose Intramuscular Ketamine.

Single-Arm Study:

Participants will receive a single intramuscular dose of ketamine (1 mg/kg) at Visit 1 (approx. 3 hours), with a follow-up visit (Visit 2) (approx. 1 hour) completed approximately 24 hours later. Participants will complete an MRI during both Visit 1 and Visit 2.

During visit 1, participants will be screened and complete clinical assessment. MRI will then be completed (pre-ketamine) by staff at Pacific Radiology, Dunedin. Structural MRI and resting-state fMRI data will be collected. Participants will then receive ketamine 1mg/kg intramuscular. Dosing will occur in the Fraser Building clinical laboratory, and will be completed by either our study clinician or a research nurse. Resuscitation facilities (ambu bag) and appropriately trained staff will be available pre-dose until a minimum of 2 hours after dosing and until patients have met the safety requirements of the discharge checklist. During visit two, only clinical assessment and MRI will be completed.

Study staff/researchers will be present during the completion of all protocol to ensure adherence/fidelity to the intervention.

We will investigate changes in functional connectivity associated with clinical response to Ketamine, using resting state fMRI, in those with treatment-resistant anxiety.
Intervention code [1] 333563 0
Treatment: Drugs
Intervention code [2] 333582 0
Early detection / Screening
Description of the comparator or control
No control group.
Control group
Uncontrolled

Outcomes
Primary outcome [1] 344853 0
Change in Functional Connectivity
Timepoint [1] 344853 0
Visit One (Pre-Dose) and Visit Two (24 hours Post-Dose)
Primary outcome [2] 344872 0
Change in Anxiety
Timepoint [2] 344872 0
Visit One (Pre-Dose) and Visit Two (24 hours Post-Dose)
Primary outcome [3] 344873 0
Change in Anxiety
Timepoint [3] 344873 0
Visit One (Pre-Dose) and Visit Two (22 hours Post-Dose)
Secondary outcome [1] 459510 0
Change in Fear
Timepoint [1] 459510 0
Visit One (Pre-Dose) and Visit Two (24 hours Post-Dose)
Secondary outcome [2] 459514 0
Change in Dissociative Symptoms
Timepoint [2] 459514 0
Visit One (Pre-Dose) and Visit Two (24 hours Post-Dose)
Secondary outcome [3] 459519 0
Change in Depression
Timepoint [3] 459519 0
Visit One (Pre-Dose) and Visit Two (24 hours Post-Dose)
Secondary outcome [4] 459520 0
Cognitive Function
Timepoint [4] 459520 0
Visit One (Pre-Dose) and Visit Two (24 hours Post-Dose)
Secondary outcome [5] 460052 0
Cognitive Function
Timepoint [5] 460052 0
Visit One (Pre-Dose) and Visit Two (24 hours Post-Dose)
Secondary outcome [6] 460053 0
Safety
Timepoint [6] 460053 0
Visit One (Pre-Dose) and Visit Two (24 hours Post-Dose)
Secondary outcome [7] 460055 0
Safety
Timepoint [7] 460055 0
Visit One (Pre-Dose) and Visit Two (24 hours Post-Dose)
Secondary outcome [8] 460056 0
Safety
Timepoint [8] 460056 0
Visit One (Post-Dose). Prior to enrolment commencement.

Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

To be included in the study, participants must meet all of the following inclusion criteria:
• Male or female aged between 18 and 45 years.
• Diagnosed with DSM-5 Generalised Anxiety Disorder and/or Social Anxiety Disorder, with inadequate response to prior treatment i.e. At least two separate failed full trials of pharmacological monotherapy (first-line treatments approved for treatment of anxiety disorders, duration of at least 6-8 weeks each, at least at the minimum dose) and/or prior failed trial of psychotherapy (Domschke et al., 2024). This will capture those with treatment-resistant anxiety.
• Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A (25)) score of >20, and/or a Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS (26)) score of >60 at screening. This will capture moderate to severe GAD and/or SAD.
Minimum age
18 Years
Maximum age
45 Years
Sex
Both males and females
Healthy volunteers
No
Key exclusion criteria
Exclusion Criteria:

To be included in the study, participants must meet none of the following exclusion criteria:
• evidence of severe acute or chronic medical disorders
• presence of implanted cardiac pacemakers, hearing aids, insulin pumps or neurostimulators; intracranial metal clips; or metallic bodies in the eye
• past or current diagnoses of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or current psychotic symptoms
• female patients who are pregnant or lactating
• drug abuse or dependence in the last 6 months
• current significant suicidal ideation
• current moderate to severe Major Depressive Disorder (MADRS >20 at screening).
• participants must be free of recreational drug and alcohol use at the time of testing

Study design
Purpose of the study
Treatment
Allocation to intervention
Non-randomised trial
Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
Masking / blinding
Open (masking not used)
Who is / are masked / blinded?



Intervention assignment
Single group
Other design features
Phase
Phase 4
Type of endpoint/s
Statistical methods / analysis

Recruitment
Recruitment status
Not yet recruiting
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
Actual
Sample size
Target
Accrual to date
Final
Recruitment outside Australia
Country [1] 27964 0
New Zealand
State/province [1] 27964 0
Dunedin

Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1] 321463 0
University
Name [1] 321463 0
University of Otago
Country [1] 321463 0
New Zealand
Primary sponsor type
University
Name
University of Otago
Address
Country
New Zealand
Secondary sponsor category [1] 324210 0
Hospital
Name [1] 324210 0
Te Whatu Ora - Southern
Address [1] 324210 0
Country [1] 324210 0
New Zealand

Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved
Ethics committee name [1] 319995 0
Northern B Health and Disability Ethics Committee 
Ethics committee address [1] 319995 0
Ethics committee country [1] 319995 0
New Zealand
Date submitted for ethics approval [1] 319995 0
25/03/2026
Approval date [1] 319995 0
12/06/2026
Ethics approval number [1] 319995 0
2026 FULL 25753

Summary
Brief summary
Trial website
Trial related presentations / publications
Public notes

Contacts
Principal investigator
Name 149082 0
Prof Bruce R Russell
Address 149082 0
18 Frederick Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin 9016 (Adams Building) - School of Pharmacy, University of Otago
Country 149082 0
New Zealand
Phone 149082 0
+64 3 479 7272
Fax 149082 0
Email 149082 0
Contact person for public queries
Name 149083 0
Brydie Dumelow
Address 149083 0
18 Frederick Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin 9016 (Adams Building) - School of Pharmacy, University of Otago
Country 149083 0
New Zealand
Phone 149083 0
+64 3 479 7275
Fax 149083 0
Email 149083 0
Contact person for scientific queries
Name 149084 0
Bruce R Russell
Address 149084 0
18 Frederick Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin 9016 (Adams Building) - School of Pharmacy, University of Otago
Country 149084 0
New Zealand
Phone 149084 0
+64 3 479 7272
Fax 149084 0
Email 149084 0

Data sharing statement
Will the study consider sharing individual participant data?
No
No IPD sharing reason/comment: We will be doing our own analysis. Data will not be publically shared.



What supporting documents are/will be available?

No Supporting Document Provided


Results publications and other study-related documents

Documents added manually
No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.

Documents added automatically
No additional documents have been identified.