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DrugScreening.org


 
Ketamine Possible Depression Treatment
May 5, 2008

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Research Summary

Ketamine, a drug that started out as a tranquilizer for horses and ended up as a popular club drug, could be useful as a treatment for depression, researchers say.

Reuters reported May 2 that the drug, nicknamed "Special K," seems to calm overactivity in the orbifrontal cortex region of the brain in people with depression. That part of the brain is typically associated with feelings of guilt, dread, and apprehension.

Researchers studied the effect of ketamine on the brain by using brain scans. Past studies found that the drug improved symptoms among depressed individuals within 24 hours, faster than antidepressants like Prozac.

The new study, led by researcher Bill Deakin of the University of Manchester, was published in the February 2008 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
This article summarizes an external report or press release on research published in a scientific journal. When available, links to the sources are provided above.

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