Intra-Sessional Autonomic Arc Detection in Ketamine-Assisted Therapy for PTSD: A Signal Characterisation Pilot Study

This prospective observational pilot study (n=5) will assess whether continuous wearable physiological monitoring can characterise an intra-sessional autonomic arc during ketamine-assisted therapy in adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It will evaluate the feasibility of detecting a consistent autonomic trajectory, using continuous heart rate variability (HRV) and electrodermal activity (EDA) data collected during independently arranged ketamine sessions. Participants aged 19 years or older with confirmed PTSD will wear an EmbracePlus wrist-worn biosensor across a 3–7 day pre-session baseline period, the full ketamine-assisted therapy session, and 3–5 day follow-up monitoring windows at 1, 2 and 4 weeks after the session. The study also includes a structured pre-session interview within 48 hours before treatment and a structured post-session interview within 4 hours after session end, including administration of the Post-Session Subjective Integration Scale. Ketamine is administered solely by the participant’s licensed treating provider, and no drug is given by the researcher. The primary outcome is intra-sessional autonomic arc trajectory characterisation during the ketamine session, with sessions showing EDA channel loss exceeding 15% of the recording window excluded from primary analysis.