Antidepressant Ketamine

[TooStonedToType]

This was reported on a local television station here this study was starting.

Interesting.  May be too late to be a patient.
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http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00088699

Rapid Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine

This study is currently recruiting patients.
Verified by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) May 2006

Sponsored by:   National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Information provided by:   National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:   NCT00088699
 Purpose

This study will test whether a single dose of ketamine - a drug that blocks a brain receptor called NMDA - can cause a rapid (next day) antidepressant effect in patients with major depression. Several medications are effective for treating depression; however, they take weeks or months to achieve their full effects. A more rapidly acting antidepressant would have a significant impact on the treatment of depression. In a previous study, ketamine produced a rapid antidepressant effect within hours, but the effect lasted less than 1 week. Understanding how ketamine works may lead to a better understanding of the causes of depression and the design of a longer lasting rapidly acting antidepressant.

Patients between 18 and 65 years of age who are currently experiencing an episode of major depression of at least 4 weeks duration and have not responded to two treatment trials may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical and psychiatric history, physical examination, and blood and urine tests.

[senorsalvia]

Anyone know off the top of their head just what receptor sites Ketamine binds to?     The reason I ask; is because I have a major serotonin imbalance (very low amounts) and have found that the good ole Kappa Opoid Agonist (Salvia Divinorum), is very effective in alleviating depression in just the way these trials seem to be looking for.......  sal

[TooStonedToType]

Yea, that's kind of why I posted this. Almost posted it in the Salvia Plane actually.  I'm not sure and thought some of you might know.  I know people who have made comparisions of K to Salvia.  DMT as well.  At least as to effects. There may be some similarities, but i'm not so sure.

[Amomynous]

Anyone know off the top of their head just what receptor sites Ketamine binds to?    

NMDA (N-Methyl-D-Aspartate).

[visionarybear]

NMDA receptors are glutamate receptors, which is the major excitatory neurtransmitter in the brain

NMDA receptors are responsible for long term potentiation which has been implicated in learning and memory, blockage will stop learning of spatial tasks.

NMDA is only activated after sufficient depolarization of the cell membrane, often by the other two glutamate receptor, AMPA and Kainate.

Glutamate receptors are pretty common in many different neuron population in the brain, acting as modifiers and feeding into many feed back/foward loops in the brain.

They work in opposition to GABA receptors which promote relaxation (i.e vaium)

I have heard ketamine mentioned before for its ability to 'reset' brain chemistry after a ketamine dissociative coma..very interesting

[Tarantism]

very interesting thread here. while i know little of Ketamine and have never experimented with the drug, i have heard many warnings and tales about its extremely addictive properties. i wonder if, while curing notciable depression, if the addiction would cause cravings and dependace, possibly putting patients in medical danger?

interesting though.

[Anonymous]

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