There’s a new FDA approved anti-depressant in town – comes in a nasal spray form that contains the anesthetic ketamine drug as a treatment. Clearly, it has inspired a lot of discussions, with many claiming it to be a miracle drug. Currently, there is plenty of evidence that suggests the benefits of ketamine, but how it works to treat depression is yet to be understood till now. New research published in Science reported that ketamine works in the brain for treatment-resistant depression by reversing prefrontal cortical synapse loss in the brain.
"What we can imagine is that ketamine always has this short-term antidepressant effect, but then if the synaptic changes are not maintained, you will have a relapse," Neuroscientist Anna Beyeler told NPR. Additionally, the study in Science also emphasized that ketamine is not a one-and-done solution. "Sustaining remission after ketamine treatment is a particular challenge. Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ketamine eventually dissipate, and the long-term safety and efficacy of repeated dosing are not well understood."
Not long ago, ketamine was majorly used as an anesthetic during animal and human surgeries. Its street name is special K and has a potential for misuse. This explains why people who are treated with ketamine and esketamine must be supervised and monitored by medical professionals.
Dr. Gerard Sanacora, a psychiatrist at Yale Medicine who was involved in many ketamine studies, said ketamine "appears to help facilitate the creation new neural pathways that can help them develop resiliency and protect against the return of the depression." He added that patients can build additional resilience by augmenting treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy.
Of course, the research about ketamine and how it works to treat major depression looks promising. But more research is necessary to understand its long term effects on the brain and the body. Additionally, some people have noted that they experienced There's no doubt that the research about how ketamine works to treat major depression is promising, however, more research is necessary to understand the long-term effects of ketamine on the body and brain. In addition, some people may experience unpleasant sedative side effects, which is why both ketamine and esketamine are only administered in controlled settings. Despite these drawbacks, any breakthrough related to increased understanding of how a medication treats major depression is a step in the right direction.
