A Promising New Treatment Path
Could future depression treatments involve using an anesthetic that’s also used as a club drug? A study published in the August issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry showed that a single dose of the anesthesia ketamine improved the mood in 71 percent of the participants who received it, instead of a placebo, within one day. In addition, 35 percent of the participants still displayed an improvement in mood a week later.
Now, this study is not necessarily exciting because it’s uncovered Ketamine as a potential form of treatment for depression. Ketamine, at least in its current form, would be too problematic as a treatment. For one thing, there is enormous potential for abuse with a drug like this. It’s already in use as a street drug. For another, possible side effects include psychosis. That would be akin to treating your cold by replacing it with the flu.