According to a new study by researchers at Penn Medicine, ketamine, which is well-known as an anesthetic and is becoming increasingly popular as an antidepressant, dramatically reorganizes activity in the brain, almost as if a switch were turned on. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, found
Ketamine is a medication that is primarily used as an anesthetic in surgical procedures and veterinary medicine. However, it also has potential therapeutic uses as an antidepressant and in treating chronic pain.
“Our surprising results reveal two distinct populations of cortical neurons, one engaged in normal awake brain function, the other linked to the ketamine-induced brain state,” said the co-lead and co-senior author Joseph Cichon, MD, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care and Neuroscience in the Perelman School of Medicine at the. “It’s possible that this new network induced by ketamine enables dreams, hypnosis, or some type of unconscious state.
“We were hoping to pinpoint exactly what parts of the brain circuit ketamine affects when it’s administered so that we might open the door to better study of it and, down the road, more beneficial therapeutic use of it,” said co-lead and co-senior author Alex Proekt, MD, Ph.D., an associate professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at Penn.microscopy was used to image cortical brain tissue before and after ketamine treatment.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Research shows people blame and judge parents for children's heavier weightsWhile excess weight arises from a complex interplay of genes, environment, diet and activity, new research finds Americans hold parents responsible for excess weight in their kids.
Read more »
Coffee With Milk May Fight Inflammation, Preliminary Research ShowsThe combination of polyphenols and amino acids was seen to be twice as effective at fighting inflammation as polyphenol alone, in preliminary research suggesting that coffee with milk could be an anti-inflammatory.
Read more »
“Striking” Differences – New Research Helps Explain Why Obesity Is More Dangerous for MenBuilding blocks of blood vessels, known as pericytes, have been linked to inflammation and disease processes in male mice. A study conducted by York University sheds new light on the biological differences between male and female mice when it comes to obesity-related diseases. The research reveals
Read more »
Nuclear Popcorn: New Research Sheds Light on the Enigmatic Strong Nuclear ForceThe shape of heavy nuclei changes as the energy level varies. The universe is governed by four fundamental forces that dictate the interactions between particles and shape the world we know. These forces include the electromagnetic force, gravity, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force. These
Read more »
Amazon preferences its products over competitors' in search, new research findsAmazon gives preference to its branded products over those of competitors in its internal search results, new research finds, a result corroborating claims that the online retail giant is unfairly manipulating results.
Read more »
CJ McCollum’s Steady Presence Amid ‘Choppy’ Pelicans SeasonCJ McCollum, 31 years old and a decade into his NBA career, is trying his best to be calm amid the chaos
Read more »