Ketamine is effective for treating depression, however, it can create dissociative symptoms such as feeling out of body or emotionally numb.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) recently discovered how ketamine interacts with distinct brain circuits to create its antidepressant and dissociative effects.
The study, which was published in Nature Communications, could lead to new depression treatments with fewer adverse effects.
The study included ten epileptic patients who had electrode implants in their brains to detect aberrant electrical activity that produces seizures. Before undergoing general anesthesia for electrode removal surgery, the patients were given ketamine.
They collected data on individuals’ brain activity before and after ketamine administration before removing the electrode implants.
The electrode recordings demonstrated that it produces its antidepressant and dissociative effects by engaging separate neural circuits in discrete frequency-dependent patterns of brain activity.
Ketamine caused “gamma oscillations” (25 to 55 Hz) in depression-related brain regions, notably the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. It caused a 3 Hz oscillation in the posteromedial cortex, which is associated with dissociative symptoms.
“In this study, we show, for the first time to our knowledge in humans, a detailed description of the principal oscillatory changes in a variety of cortical and subcortical structures after administration of a subanesthetic dose of ketamine,” says lead author Fangyun Tian, Ph.D., an Instructor in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at MGH and an Instructor in Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School.
more recommended stories
-
Brain Chemistry & Political Attitudes: Neural Switch Theory
In summary, a recent study uses.
-
Immunosuppression Driver Found in Glioblastoma
Filippo Veglia, Ph.D., an assistant professor.
-
Early Brain Development: Gene Control Atlas Unveiled
An atlas of the brain’s early.
-
PLS Riskier in ABO Mismatched Lung Transplants
Passenger lymphocyte syndrome (PLS) is a.
-
Lysosomal Function in Parkinson’s Disease Risk
The genetic traits that affect the.
-
Omega-6 Fatty Acid Role in Bipolar Disorder
Higher concentrations of arachidonic acid, an.
-
Transplant Drug Shows Promise in Slowing Alzheimer’s in Seizure Patients
Protein imbalances, which heighten the excitability.
-
Fentanyl Inhalation: Brain Damage Risks
After treating a middle-aged man who.
-
Enhanced Immune Response in New COVID-19 Vaccines
An improved vaccination offers an enhanced.
-
Bioresorbable Wireless Sensor for Early Stomach Leakage Detection
In a recent publication in Scientific.
Leave a Comment