Posted by Hugh on February 20, 2019, at 11:16:54
Ketamine's antidepressive effects require activation of opioid receptors in the brain, a new Stanford study shows. The surprising finding may alter how new antidepressants are developed and administered in order to mitigate the risk of opioid dependence.
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered that ketamine works as an antidepressant at least in part by activating the brain's opioid system.
The finding overturns previously held beliefs that the drug's antidepressant effects stemmed solely from its impact on the glutamate system. These beliefs led to the widespread use of ketamine to treat depression and spurred the development of glutamate-blocking drugs for use as antidepressants.
The new finding also highlights the interaction between depression, pain and opioid addiction and presents an opportunity for clinicians to reframe treatment approaches for these three public health crises.
The research is believed to be the first to address how ketamine works in the human brain to provide relief from depression. A paper describing the work was published Aug. 29 in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
"Before we did the study, I wasn't sure that ketamine really worked to treat depression. Now I know the drug works, but it doesn't work like everyone thought it was working," said Alan Schatzberg, MD, the Kenneth T. Norris Jr. Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, who shares senior authorship of the paper with Carolyn Rodriguez, MD, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.
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URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20190206/msgs/1103308.html