Why Ketamine Can Relieve From Depression So Quickly

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists are shedding new light on why the anesthetic drug ketamine can within a matter of hours ease symptoms of depression in people in patients

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists are shedding new light on why the anesthetic drug ketamine can within a matter of hours ease symptoms of depression in people in patients with treatment-resistant depression.

"Ketamine produces a very sharp increase that immediately relieves depression," said Dr. Lisa Monteggia, associate professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study.

Depression - A Holistic Approach-Signs, Symptoms and Treatment
Depression is a common disorder and many worldwide suffer from depression. Early recognition of symptoms and signs of depression can help in taking a holistic approach to the management of depression.

Typical antidepressant medications - one of the most widely prescribed classes of drugs in the U.S. each year - often take several weeks to relieve symptoms of depression. If they are not successful within 12 weeks, physicians must prescribe a different antidepressant to produce a response.

"Ketamine produces a fast-acting antidepressant effect, and we hope our investigation provides critical information to treat depression effectively sooner," Dr. Monteggia said.

"We now have a novel pathway to explore that may provide potential for the development of faster-acting and longer-lasting antidepressants," Dr. Monteggia said.

Ketamine
This medication is a hydrochloride salt, used as an anesthetic.

The study was recently published in the journal Nature.

Source-ANI

Depression Calculator
A quick, simple and anonymous self-assessment health tool to assess the level of depression using the famous Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale.

How to Handle Depression
Few tips that could help you to manage depression. It is ok to be moody once in a while but if you feel moody for a longer period of time then it could be depression.