What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a remarkable, safe, and effective drug that can truly help people who have been labeled as hopelessly “treatment-resistant”.
Ketamine creates new, healthy connections within your brain
Ketamine is a non-narcotic, non-opioid, non-addictive (at sub-anesthetic doses) dissociative anesthetic that causes a disassociation between the mind and body.
Unlike other anesthetics that put the brain and body to sleep, Ketamine puts the brain to sleep without suppressing the body’s vital functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. This effect on the brain initiates the neurogenesis responsible for the success we see in the treatment of mood disorders and chronic pain.
The mild dissociation seen with low-dose Ketamine infusion stimulates increased production and release of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic (BDNF), (described below) which creates new, healthy neuronal connections.
Ketamine was introduced into clinical practice in the 1960s and approved by the FDA for medical use in 1970, for adults and those as young as six-months-old. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic medication, meaning that it “separates” the mind from the body. The dissociation seen with low-dose ketamine infusion initiates the release of a specific protein in the brain called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This protein causes several effects on the brain, such as glutamate and GABA regulation, growth of new neurotransmitters, and reduction in the activity of the lateral habenula.
Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that is responsible for nerve stimulation and is essential for brain function, and is also needed for making another neurotransmitter in your brain called Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is a chemical messenger in the brain that is known for producing a calming effect. It is involved in sleep, relaxation, anxiety regulation, and muscle function. Ketamine affects the brain by targeting glutamate receptor genes that are known to cause GABA imbalance. GABA levels are connected to mental illness and dopamine production. High levels of GABA are associated with depression, while low levels cause anxiety.
Research also shows that ketamine has the ability to reach parts of the brain that other antidepressants cannot
Ketamine administered at low doses affects synaptic growth in the brain, specifically in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. These are the parts of the brain that are responsible for behavior, mood, memory, and character development. The synaptic changes that occur from low-dose ketamine treatment result in the development of new synapses, (or new neuron connections in the brain).
Ketamine has also been found to have an effect on the lateral habenula, which is part of the brain responsible for regulating circadian rhythm sleep, maternal instinct, and pain. Abnormal activity in this part of the brain can cause negative feelings, such as a lack of pleasure, and helplessness. Depression causes the lateral habenula to go into overdrive, causing even more negative thoughts and feelings.
Studies have shown that ketamine has the ability to reset this part of the brain, and therefore improve symptoms of depression.
Ketamine Infusion Therapy essentially refreshes your brain
Periods of heightened stress and trauma can cause lesions to appear on the brain, or areas of the brain that inhibit the brain’s ability to process and communicate. Ketamine Infusion Therapy refreshes the neuronal connections that have been damaged by anxiety, pain, and depression to create a clean slate. Our Ketamine Infusion Therapy protocol has the potential of reducing patients’ symptoms drastically, with remission rates as high as 85%.