A new study reveals the neurological mechanisms at work during ketamine anesthesia.
Researchers report alcohol produces the same neural and molecular changes as drugs that have proven to be rapidly effective antidepressants.
Ketamine may improve brain functions involved in mood regulation, researchers report.
Researchers consider the neurobiology of near death experiences.
In the absence of neural activity, BDNF expression can still be activated. The findings shed light on how therapeutic ketamine used has an antidepressant effect and how it works in both the long and short term.
Researchers have identified a key neural circuit that plays a role in dissociation, a phenomenon in which people can feel disconnected from their bodies and reality.
New understanding about ketamine's antidepressant effect could lead to the development of new, safer and quicker ways to treat depression.
Scientists have discovered a biological marker that may help to identify which depressed patients will respond to an experimental, rapid-acting antidepressant like ketamine. The brain signal, detectable by noninvasive imaging, also holds clues to the agent's underlying mechanism, which are vital for drug development, say NIH researchers.
Researchers document the effects of ketamine overdose in a 10 month old infant.
Researchers report those addicted to cocaine may have difficulty controlling their addiction because of a 'back door' into the brain that circumvents their self control.
Summary: An artificial neural network has identified a potential mechanism for the impaired decision-making often seen in schizophrenia patients, which involves the reduced activity of NMDA receptors.
The MeCP2 gene influences ketamine's behavioral effect and strengthens synapses, leading to an improvement in the drug's antidepressant effect over time.