Testing the Effectiveness of Cognitive Training Among Depressed Patients Receiving Esketamine Treatment

January 12, 2026 updated by: Rebecca Price, University of Pittsburgh

Cognitive Training to Enhance Depression Relief: Testing an Adjunct to Clinical Esketamine Treatment

In a sample of patients already receiving esketamine treatment as part of their clinical care, this project seeks to test whether we can improve depression by introducing helpful information delivered by a computer-based training protocol. This work could ultimately lead to the ability to treat depression more efficiently and with broader dissemination by rapidly priming the brain for helpful forms of learning.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Suspended

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
        • Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Any patient aged 18-80 in the esketamine clinic in the Center for Interventional Psychiatry. The clinic's extensive screening and eligibility criteria for esketamine treatment will not be altered in any way, other than imposing the study-specific age range and the two exclusion criteria below.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients who do not expect to remain located in the Pittsburgh area for a minimum of 1 month beyond study enrollment.
  2. Patients who, in the judgment of the esketamine clinical medical director, show signs of intellectual disability, developmental disability, and/or cognitive impairment (including age-related cognitive decline) of a sufficient degree to interfere with engagement in any study procedure.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Cognitive Training
8 sessions of web-based cognitive training
Behavioral: Cognitive Training
8 sessions of web-based cognitive training
Sham Comparator: Sham Training
8 sessions of web-based sham training
Behavioral: Sham Training
8 sessions of web-based sham training

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale
Time Frame: Trajectories from baseline through 1 month
depression severity; range 0-60; high score=worse outcome
Trajectories from baseline through 1 month
Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms
Time Frame: Trajectories from baseline through 1 month
Self-reported depression (range: 0-27; higher scores = worse outcome)
Trajectories from baseline through 1 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale modified score
Time Frame: Trajectories from baseline through 1 month
Clinician-rated depression (range: 0-52; higher scores = worse outcome)
Trajectories from baseline through 1 month
Clinical Global Impression Scale--Improvement
Time Frame: Trajectories from baseline through 1 month
range 1-7 (higher score=worse outcome)
Trajectories from baseline through 1 month
Clinical Global Impression Scale--Severity
Time Frame: Trajectories from baseline through 1 month
range 1-7 (higher score=worse outcome)
Trajectories from baseline through 1 month
Frequency of scheduled esketamine visits
Time Frame: During first month
The frequency of scheduled esketamine visits, optimized according to clinicians' judgment of response and patient preferences
During first month
Number of patients terminated from esketamine therapy
Time Frame: During first 6 months
Number with esketamine treatment terminated by the clinic's embedded providers due to lack of clinical response after 1-month of treatment
During first 6 months

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Client Satisfaction Questionnaire
Time Frame: Assessment at 'post-CT' timepoint (completed approximately 1 week following randomization)
self-reported satisfaction with treatment; range 8-32; higher score=better rating
Assessment at 'post-CT' timepoint (completed approximately 1 week following randomization)
Ease of use
Time Frame: Assessment at 'post-CT' timepoint (completed approximately 1 week following randomization)
self-report slider scale rating; range = 0-100; high score=better rating
Assessment at 'post-CT' timepoint (completed approximately 1 week following randomization)
Helpfulness
Time Frame: Assessment at 'post-CT' timepoint (completed approximately 1 week following randomization)
self-report slider scale rating; range = 0-100; high score=better rating
Assessment at 'post-CT' timepoint (completed approximately 1 week following randomization)
Satisfaction with Cognitive Training
Time Frame: Assessment at 'post-CT' timepoint (completed approximately 1 week following randomization)
self-report slider scale rating; range = 0-100; high score=better rating
Assessment at 'post-CT' timepoint (completed approximately 1 week following randomization)
Future likelihood of using Cognitive Training
Time Frame: Assessment at 'post-CT' timepoint (completed approximately 1 week following randomization)
self-report slider scale rating; range = 0-100; high score=better rating
Assessment at 'post-CT' timepoint (completed approximately 1 week following randomization)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Pittsburgh

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 14, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 28, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 20, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 30, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 9, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 12, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • STUDY22090145

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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