NCT07619092Recruiting
Flumazenil for Benzodiazepine Reversal in Electroconvulsive Therapy
Flumazenil for Benzodiazepine Reversal in Electroconvulsive Therapy (FLEET): A Randomized Controlled Trial
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 1 Jun 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
The goal of this study is to investigate whether administering flumazenil to reverse the effects of benzodiazepines and/or zopiclone during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can help reduce cognitive side effects without diminishing treatment effectiveness in hospitalized patients with depression. The investigators hypothesize that blockade of the GABA receptor with flumazenil will reduce cognitive side effects through improved seizures and a reduced need for electrical charge escalation during the ECT series. Cognitive side effects will be measured by the total score on the Screening for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP) (primary outcome) at follow-up after completion of the ECT series. Furthermore, it is expected that the flumazenil strategy will reduce pre-treatment anxiety and improve patient satisfaction (secondary outcomes). In addition, flumazenil strategy is hypothesized to have beneficial effects on subjective cognitive complaints, autobiographical memory, and executive functioning (secondary outcomes). Finally, the flumazenil strategy is expected to be associated with more favorable structural and functional changes in executive functioning and memory-related brain networks after completion of the ECT series, which may, in turn, be linked to better overall cognition and autobiographical memory (secondary outcome measures). For exploratory purposes, the study will also examine longitudinal changes in depressive symptoms and cognitive outcomes from baseline to follow-up (tertiary outcomes). Investigators will compare two different pre-ECT benzodiazepine management strategies: 1. Flumazenil strategy (experimental): continued benzodiazepine and/or zopiclone use up until the time of the ECT session, followed by administration of flumazenil immediately prior to ECT 2. Benzodiazepine withholding strategy (treatment as usual): discontinuation of benzodiazepines and/or zopiclone prior to the ECT in accordance with standard clinical practice
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 145 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 24 Sept 2025
- Start date
- 15 Jan 2026
- Primary completion date
- Aug 2028
- Lead sponsor
- Anders Jørgensen
- Diseases
- Depression, Bipolar disorder
- NCT number
- NCT07619092
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 145
- From 15 Jan 2026 to the primary completion date, Aug 2028
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Involuntary treatment with ECT
Other illness
- Acute organic brain disease (e.g., delirium) influencing the ability to give informed consent
- Any pre-existing condition associated with an increased risk of prolonged or uncontrollable seizures, including but not limited to epilepsy or alcohol- or benzodiazepine withdrawal states
- Conditions associated with reduced metabolism of flumazenil (e.g., liver failure)
Other
- Known gross abnormalities in brain structure deemed likely to influence cognitive functioning
- Pregnancy or breast-feeding
- Inability to read or understand Danish
Who the study is looking for
- Current depressive episode (unipolar or bipolar), corresponding to ICD-10 codes F31.3-5, F32 or F33.
- Admitted at a study affiliated department in the Mental Health Services of the Capital Region of Denmark
- Referred to ECT by the regular psychiatrist and has given consent to ECT
- Currently receiving treatment with a benzodiazepine and/or zopiclone, at a minimum daily dose equivalent to 0.5 mg lorazepam.
Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Frederiksberg | Denmark | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.