On October 22, 2026, Vanderbilt Health News announced that Patricia Andrews, MD, Director of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has received funding from the Alzheimer’s Association to study intravenous (IV) ketamine for depression in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s dementia. The study is called KeTADiD (Ketamine for Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease related Depression). Vanderbilt expects it to begin enrolling in December.
This is an early-stage study. Its main goal is to learn whether IV ketamine is safe and tolerable for this group. Proving that it works is a question for later research. That restraint is part of what makes the study worth paying attention to. Below, we walk through what the study involves, why researchers are interested, what the earlier evidence does and does not show, and what families can do now.
What is the KeTADiD study?
KeTADiD will enroll men and women over 60 who are living with major depressive disorder. Each participant must also have one of the following:
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI): changes in memory or thinking that are noticeable but do not yet interfere much with daily independence. The National Institute on Aging explains MCI in its information for families.
- Mild Alzheimer’s dementia: an early stage of dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
In both cases, participants need evidence of Alzheimer’s disease pathology based on biomarkers. Biomarkers are measurable signs in the body that point to the protein changes linked to Alzheimer’s. They can come from blood tests, spinal fluid, or brain imaging.
According to the Vanderbilt Health News announcement, participation lasts 10 to 14 weeks and includes:
- 5 in-person visits
- 8 phone calls
- 4 monitored IV infusions, given twice a week for two weeks
Each participant will receive either ketamine or a placebo (an inactive comparison). A placebo group helps researchers tell the effects of the medicine apart from the effects of extra attention and close care.
Why does depression matter so much in Alzheimer’s-related conditions?
Depression is common in people with Alzheimer’s-related conditions. Dr. Andrews notes that it also raises the risk of further cognitive decline. The Lancet Commission’s 2024 report on dementia prevention, intervention, and care, published in The Lancet, makes a related point: it lists depression among the modifiable risk factors for dementia.
Dr. Andrews describes two reasons a faster treatment could matter here.
The first is quality of life. Current treatment usually relies on SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and related antidepressants that also act on norepinephrine. In her words, their efficacy in this population “is limited.”
The second is access to other care. Severe depression can make it hard for a person to take part in conversations about their own treatment. That matters more now that newer Alzheimer’s therapies may help slow disease progression in early stages. These include the anti-amyloid medicines reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Andrews suggests that rapid relief from depressive symptoms could help some people reach those therapies sooner.
For caregivers, this second point may land hardest. Watching a loved one feel too low to weigh options can be painful, especially when time feels important.
Why are researchers looking at IV ketamine?
IV ketamine is ketamine given through a small line in a vein, in a carefully measured dose, over a set period of time. Ketamine has been used as an anesthetic for decades. At lower doses, it has been studied for depression since the early 2000s. You can read more about that history in our post on when ketamine became a depression treatment.
Much of the interest comes from speed. Randomized trials published in journals such as JAMA Psychiatry have reported that a ketamine infusion can ease depressive symptoms within hours for some people with treatment-resistant depression. Dr. Andrews points to the same pattern. She describes improvement reported about two hours after an infusion that continues for several days in younger adults.
Researchers believe part of this effect relates to neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form and strengthen connections between nerve cells. Ketamine acts on a different brain system (glutamate) than most antidepressants do. Our article on ketamine and brain rewiring in depression explains this in more depth.
A related medicine, esketamine (Spravato), is a nasal spray made from one form of the ketamine molecule. It is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression. Its approved uses have changed over time, so check the current FDA prescribing information for details. If you are curious about who qualifies, see our plain-English guide to Spravato eligibility in Aventura, FL. KeTADiD, however, is studying IV ketamine specifically.
What do the earlier pilot studies show, and what don’t they show?
Dr. Andrews cites two small pilot studies:
- A recent study in adults over 60 found that repeated IV ketamine was safe and effective. Participants showed improvement in depression and in executive function, which covers skills like planning, focus, and flexible thinking.
- A study published earlier in 2026 found that one ketamine infusion was safe and improved depression in people with MCI.
She is clear about their limits. Both were open-label, meaning everyone knew they were receiving ketamine and there was no placebo group. “These findings provide preliminary evidence but do not establish efficacy,” she said.
We think this is the right way to read them. Open-label results can be encouraging, and they are often how promising treatments earn a closer look. However, they cannot tell us how much of the improvement came from the medicine itself. A placebo-controlled study like KeTADiD begins to address that gap. It starts with the most basic question: can this group tolerate the treatment well?
What does safety look like?
Dr. Andrews names two main risks for participants: increased blood pressure and confusion. She notes that both resolve after the infusion ends. That is consistent with what clinicians generally see with IV ketamine, though older adults and people with cognitive changes may need extra care.
Another common effect is dissociation, a temporary sense of detachment from your body, your surroundings, or your usual sense of time. For many people it fades as the infusion ends. For someone already living with memory or thinking changes, it may feel more disorienting. That is one reason careful monitoring matters so much in this study.
IV delivery gives the medical team precise control. They can adjust the rate during an infusion or stop it quickly if needed. In any IV ketamine setting, a thorough medical review usually looks closely at:
- Blood pressure and heart health, including uncontrolled high blood pressure or certain heart conditions
- Current medications and possible interactions (our guide to safe medication management in mental health treatment covers this)
- Any personal or family history of psychosis
- Substance use history
- Pregnancy
At Nushama, care for adults considering IV ketamine starts with a medical assessment of history and medications. Pre-treatment testing can include urine and blood tests, blood pressure, and an EKG. Our care team includes experienced psychiatrists, physicians, nurses, therapists, and mental health professionals. If you have heard concerns about ketamine’s safety, our article debunking common ketamine myths may help separate evidence from rumor.
What comes next if ketamine proves tolerable?
If KeTADiD shows that IV ketamine is safe for this population, Dr. Andrews plans to design a large, multisite, randomized controlled trial. That next study would look at:
- Whether ketamine improves depression
- How long the benefit lasts
- Longer-term effects on cognition, daily functioning, and quality of life
- Safety over time
“This would provide the evidence needed to determine whether ketamine could be incorporated more broadly into clinical care for older adults with MCI or mild Alzheimer’s dementia,” she said.
That process takes years. Researchers answer the safety question first and then invest in a larger trial. Working in that order is how they can give families answers they can trust.
What can families and caregivers do now?
If someone you love is over 60 and living with both depression and memory or thinking changes, here are a few gentle next steps.
Ask about the KeTADiD registry. Enrollment is planned for December, but interested people can join a registry to be notified when the study opens. Vanderbilt lists two contacts:
- Beverly Burchfield: beverly.burchfield@vumc.org, 615-875-3722
- Kiara Baker: kiara.baker@vumc.org, 615-327-7117
Consider a specialized evaluation. Dr. Andrews notes that the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Clinic evaluates older adults with depression, memory, or other cognitive concerns. When appropriate, the clinic also connects patients with research opportunities, including other Alzheimer’s studies through the Center for Cognitive Medicine.
Search for other trials. ClinicalTrials.gov, run by the National Library of Medicine, lists studies by condition and location.
Keep the person’s clinicians involved. Before any change in treatment, talk with their primary care doctor, psychiatrist, or neurologist. For people with cognitive impairment, decisions about IV ketamine outside a study are highly individual, and the evidence is still early. A research setting offers structured, closely monitored care while the science develops.
Know where to turn in a crisis. If a loved one talks about suicide or you are worried about their safety, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or go to the nearest emergency room.
How Nushama sees research like this
At Nushama, we believe medicine can be a catalyst for change, and that preparation and integration help that change last. Integration is the work that follows a ketamine session. It involves reflecting on what came up and turning insights into steps in daily life, often with a trained integration coach or therapist. Our post on how to prepare for your first ketamine treatment describes the other half of that process.
Studies like KeTADiD reflect the values we try to bring to every journey. Those values include careful screening, close monitoring, honest language about what the evidence shows, and respect for each person’s pace. Studies like this also remind us that the best care for some groups is still being defined, and that this work is worth doing slowly and well.
For adults living with depression that hasn’t lifted with other treatments, our ketamine for depression page explains how our protocol works, from medical assessment through infusions and integration. You may want to talk through whether IV ketamine or esketamine might fit your situation, or a loved one’s. If so, our care team can listen first and help you understand your options alongside your existing clinicians. Anything you share with us is handled as described in our privacy policy.
When you’re ready, we’re here. Book a consultation with our care team.