Medical Information Only. Always consult your healthcare provider before enrolling in any clinical trial.
Neurobiology of Suicide
NCT02543983 · View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Study Summary
Background: There are no good treatments for people considering suicide. Researchers want to study suicide with questions, blood tests, brain imaging, and sleep studies. They hope to better understand suicide, so they can help suicidal people. Objective: To understand what happens in the brain when someone has thought about or attempted suicide. Eligibility: Group 1: Adults ages 18 70 who have thought about or attempted suicide recently Group 2: Adults ages 18 70 who have thought about or attempted suicide in the past Group 3: Adults ages 18 70 who have depression or anxiety, but have never thought about suicide Group 4: Healthy volunteers the same ages. Design: Participants will be screened in another protocol. Adults who have recently thought about or attempted suicide must be referred by a doctor. They may do up to 3 phases of this study. Groups 2, 3 and 4 will do only Phase 1 and will not get ketamine. Phase 1: 1 week in hospital. Participants will have: Physical exam. Questions about thoughts and feelings. Thinking and memory tests and simple tasks. Blood and urine tests. Two MRI scans. Participants will lie on a table that slides into a metal cylinder that takes pictures. They will have a coil over their head and earplugs and do a computer task. Sleep test. Disks and bands will be placed on the body to monitor it during sleep. Magnetic detectors on their head while they perform tasks. A wrist monitor for activity and sleep. Lumbar puncture (optional). A needle will collect fluid from the back. Shock experiments (optional). Participants will observe pictures and sounds and feel a small shock on the hand. Phase 2: 4 days in hospital. A thin plastic tube will be placed in each arm, one for blood draws, the other to get the drug ketamine once. Participants will repeat most of the Phase 1 tests. Phase 3: up to 4 more ketamine doses over 2 weeks. Participants will have follow-up calls or visits at 6 months and then maybe yearly for 5 years.
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- DRUG Ketamine Hydrochloride
- DEVICE Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner, 3T
- DEVICE NeurOptics PLRTM-3000 Pupillometer
- DEVICE Experimental Anxiety Devices
- DEVICE Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner, 7T
Study Locations (1)
Maryland
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center — Bethesda
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 325 participants |
| Start Date | 2015-12-01 |
| Est. Completion | 2030-07-21 |
| Phase | Phase 2 |
Interested in This Trial?
Always speak with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.
Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗What the Registry Record Tells You About NCT02543983
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry entry for NCT02543983 describes a study currently listed as recruiting. It is categorized as Phase 2, which is the standard way researchers label where a study sits along the investigational pathway from early safety work through later efficacy and post-marketing evaluation. The registered enrollment target is 325 participants, a figure that helps gauge the scale of data the investigators plan to collect. The listed sponsor is National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), which has 317 total studies on file at ClinicalTrials.gov, and sponsors are the parties responsible for study design, oversight, and regulatory filings.
The record links to 2 conditions, with Depression appearing as the primary indexed condition, and to 5 interventions — of which Ketamine Hydrochloride is the first listed. Interventions can include drugs, devices, procedures, behavioral programs, or observational arms, and each is tracked as a separate registry field so that downstream queries can filter accurately. When a trial lists multiple interventions, it usually reflects a multi-arm design or a comparison protocol rather than a single treatment being tested in isolation. The brief summary published in the registry is the clearest source of protocol intent and should be read before drawing conclusions from any sidebar tags.
Geographic footprint matters for practical reasons: NCT02543983 reports 1 study location spanning 1 distinct geographic area — top geographies include Maryland. A larger site network tends to correlate with broader recruitment capacity, but it does not imply anything about study quality, and site-level enrollment status can diverge from the overall registry status shown above. Every data point on this page comes from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset and is reproduced here for reference only; it is not a medical recommendation, an endorsement of the sponsor, or an invitation to enroll. Verify current status, eligibility criteria, and contact details directly at ClinicalTrials.gov, and discuss any participation decision with your own healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT02543983 about?
NCT02543983 is a clinical study titled "Neurobiology of Suicide". Background: There are no good treatments for people considering suicide. Researchers want to study suicide with questions, blood tests, brain imaging, and sleep studies. They hope to better understand suicide, so they can help suicidal people. Objective: To understand what happens in the brain wh...
What is the current status of trial NCT02543983?
This trial is currently recruiting. It is a Phase 2 study. The enrollment target is 325 participants. The study started on 2015-12-01. Estimated completion is 2030-07-21.
What conditions does trial NCT02543983 study?
This clinical trial studies the following conditions: Depression, Healthy Volunteers. These conditions were identified from the trial registry and reflect the primary focus areas of the research.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT02543983?
The interventions under investigation include: Ketamine Hydrochloride (DRUG), Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner, 3T (DEVICE), NeurOptics PLRTM-3000 Pupillometer (DEVICE), Experimental Anxiety Devices (DEVICE), Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner, 7T (DEVICE). Each intervention is being evaluated for safety and efficacy as part of this clinical study.
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT02543983?
This trial is sponsored by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), which has 317 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The sponsor is responsible for the study's design, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Where is trial NCT02543983 being conducted?
This trial has 1 study location across Maryland. Contact the study sites directly through ClinicalTrials.gov for enrollment availability.
Learn More About Clinical Trials
How Clinical Trials Work
Understand phases 1-4, trial design, randomization, and the informed consent process.
Patient Rights in Clinical Trials
Your rights as a participant: consent, withdrawal, privacy, and who to contact.
Finding the Right Clinical Trial
A practical guide to searching trials, understanding eligibility, and evaluating options.
All Guides
Browse our complete library of clinical trial educational resources.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.