Ketamine Raises Brain Background Noise

A group of researchers from around the world, led by Sofya Kulikova, Senior Research Fellow at the HSE University-Perm, has revealed that ketamine, an NMDA receptor inhibitor, increases the background noise in the brain. Increased background noise raises the entropy of incoming sensory signals and interferes with their transmission between the thalamus and the cortex.…

Published

Ketamine Vs Electroshock Therapy – ECT More Effective Depression Treatment

Credit: Tom Hart CC-BY

A new meta-analysis has shown that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is better at quickly relieving major depression than ketamine. Most of the time, a person with depression is first prescribed an oral antidepressant medication, along with psychotherapy. But if oral antidepressants don’t work or if the person is in danger of hurting themselves right away, there…

Published

Identified: How Ketamine Targets Depression

The anaesthetic drug ketamine has been shown, in low doses, to have a rapid effect on difficult-to-treat depression. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet report that they have identified a key target for the drug: specific serotonin receptors in the brain. The findings give hope for new, effective antidepressants. “In this, the largest PET study of its…

Published

Ketamine May Be Useful Treatment For Tourette’s Syndrome

Ketamine, or related drugs, may be a useful treatment for Autism and Tourette’s, Lancaster University researchers report. They also found, for the first time, how a genetic alteration that increases the risk of developing both these disorders impacts on the brain. Autism affects an estimated 2.8 million people in the UK while Tourette’s Syndrome —…

Published

Ketamine Isn’t An Opioid And Treats Depression In A Unique Way

Ketamine has gotten a bad rap as an opioid when there’s plenty of evidence suggesting it isn’t one, Johns Hopkins experts say. They believe this reputation may hamper patients from getting necessary treatment for the kinds of depression that don’t respond to typical antidepressants. In a new paper, the researchers clarify the mechanism behind ketamine’s…

Published

Ketamine Nasal Sprays For Depression: Unpredictable Side Effects

The efficacy and safety of intranasal ketamine for depression is under scrutiny, as a pilot trial is stopped early due to poor side effects in patients. Nasal spray devices have been touted as a promising way to deliver ketamine to patients with treatment-resistant depression, with this application easier to use and less invasive than other…

Published

Ketamine Rapidly Reduces Suicidal Thoughts In Depression

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found that ketamine was significantly more effective than a commonly used sedative in reducing suicidal thoughts in depressed patients. They also found that ketamine’s anti-suicidal effects occurred within hours after its administration. Most antidepressant trials have excluded patients with suicidal thoughts and behavior, limiting data on the effectiveness…

Published

Club Drug Ketamine May Treat Depression Quickly

Ketamine, a drug that is used as an anesthetic, may be a way to safely treat pain, PTSD, depression, and ringing ears (tinnitus), a new study suggests. Since the drug is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration, it could potentially be available sooner and cost less. David E. Potter, professor and chair of…

Published