Ketamine
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is an anesthetic that has been found to have additional benefits as an antidepressant assisting with some brain remodeling. Ketamine is particularly helpful for those experiencing significant mental illness, suicidal thoughts, or struggling with addiction.
Ketamine treatments involve a physician, a mental health professional and a patient. The physician’s role is to administer the IV ketamine to the patient while the mental health professional’s role is to help the patient navigate through the mental landscape they are experiencing. Sturges Family Practice does not have onsite mental health professionals, but a conversation about your practitioner accompanying you to a Ketamine treatment will happen in your consultation appointment with Dr. Sturges.
How Ketamine Infusion Therapy Affects Our Mind
Rather than affecting one of the “monoamine” neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) as standard antidepressants do, ketamine acts on glutamate, the most common chemical messenger in the brain. Glutamate regulates the brain’s ability to process cognitive thoughts, emotions, and neuroplasticity.
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Rather than affecting one of the “monoamine” neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) as standard antidepressants do, ketamine acts on glutamate, the most common chemical messenger in the brain. Glutamate regulates the brain’s ability to process cognitive thoughts, emotions, and neuroplasticity.
During a ketamine infusion while neuroplasticity is increased, our brain’s thought pathways can be disrupted. This allows for practitioners and patients to create new brain habits during sessions.
Another role glutamate plays in the brain is producing and balancing Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), a calming neurotransmitter. High levels of glutamate and low GABA can lead to anxiety while depleted glutamate and GABA can result in depression.