Using Virtual Reality to Control the Audio-visual Inputs During Ketamine/Esketamine Treatment

Using Virtual Reality to Control the Audio-visual Inputs During Ketamine/Esketamine Treatment

Investigators aim to examine the role of audiovisual inputs during treatment with ketamine/esketamine in affecting tolerability and effectiveness of treatment of depressive episodes, by providing patients with a relaxing environment using virtual reality goggles and noise cancelling headphones, and assessing whether these tools can improve the tolerability and effectiveness of treatment with ketamine/esketamine

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants must be at least 18 years old
• Patients must have completed the acute series of treatment and weekly optimization phases of ketamine/esketamine treatment, and currently receiving continuation/maintenance treatment Written consent for the study procedures
• Ability and willingness, in the investigator's judgement, to comply with the study procedure and study requirements.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Hearing or visual impairment to the degree that would interfere with ability to see or hear VR content.
• Difficulty in understanding spoken or written English
• Unable to provide informed consent
• Dementia or other cognitive disorder or intellectual disability that would impair the subject's ability to understand the study procedure (per investigator judgment)
• Any other medical or psychiatric comorbidity that the investigator judges would put the participant at additional undue risk due to study participation or would impair subject's ability to participate in the study.
• Was previously enrolled/randomized into the study