In an unusual trial, Stanford Medicine researchers found that a patient’s belief that they had received ketamine, even if they didn’t, could improve their depression.
That’s the whole point of their new test - They administered it to depressed people who were going under for surgery so they wouldn’t know if they’d been given placebo or not since they were already out.
Some (conscious) studies also substitute the ketamine or other psychedelic for something like midazolam in the control group so subjects will know they’ve been given something, and a hefty IV dose of a benzo will easily fool a naive person into thinking it was actually something else. Other studies have given the control group a micro/minidose of the active compound for the same reason.
That’s the whole point of their new test - They administered it to depressed people who were going under for surgery so they wouldn’t know if they’d been given placebo or not since they were already out.
Pretty solid idea.
Some (conscious) studies also substitute the ketamine or other psychedelic for something like midazolam in the control group so subjects will know they’ve been given something, and a hefty IV dose of a benzo will easily fool a naive person into thinking it was actually something else. Other studies have given the control group a micro/minidose of the active compound for the same reason.