NCT07198711

Induction of Dreaming With EEG and Anesthesia in Healthy Adults

Comparison of Ketamine Versus Saline During Sedation in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: a Double-blind Trial

• Status: Enrolling By Invitation
• Phase: Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 15 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Stanford University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This open-label, randomized crossover study in healthy adults tests two propofol protocols to produce distinct experiential states. One induces brief loss of responsiveness with spontaneous emergence, intended to elicit dream reports; the other maintains light sedation without loss of responsiveness, intended to elicit non-dream experiences while participants remain responsive. The main goals are to (a) measure the protocol-concordant experiential report rate (how often each method produces its intended experience), (b) explore EEG correlates of these experiences in the two states, and (c) describe their phenomenology (what they are like). We will also examine short-term changes in well-being and sleep related to these experiences. Participants complete four sessions (two of each method) with EEG and routine monitoring, immediate post-session interviews, and brief questionnaires and daily sleep/dream logs before and after anesthesia sessions.

Conditions

• Healthy Volunteers

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Propofol - Emergence-from-LOR Protocol	Intravenous propofol infusion that meets the criteria: (1) maintenance of spontaneous ventilation, (2) sedation level corresponding to a Patient State Index (PSI) no lower than 25; and (3) loss of responsiveness (LOR) defined by the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) = -5 \[unarousable\]. Anesthesia is then maintained at that level for 30 minutes, followed by spontaneous emergence.
DRUG	Propofol - Light Sedation Protocol	Intravenous propofol infusion titrated stepwise to reach a state where participants are sedated but have behavioral responsiveness. Sedation is maintained at this level for 30 minutes.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-05-20
• Primary completion: 2026-05-31
• Completion: 2026-05-31
• First posted: 2025-09-30
• Last updated: 2025-09-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated drug study