Study shows new strategy for developing antid...(ch muscle relaxation is not required. Th...),Health

Ketamine produced results much more quickly than traditional antidepressants because it acted directly upon critical molecules in important neuronal circuits instead of having to bypass multiple locations en route to those circuits. Typically, currently available antidepressant medications work via serotonin or norepinephrine, neurotransmitters which act within the brain to help regulate emotion and cognition.

The results showed that patients responded after only two hours, and within 24 hours, 70% had responded. Patients were followed over time, and 35% maintained their response for up to one week. Traditional antidepressants usually take many weeks, or even months, to begin to work. This is intriguing data which suggests that targeting these important molecules in critical circuits would be extremely helpful in treating depression more quickly, before it worsens and becomes more severe, Dr. Manji said.

The researchers also studied rodents to determine whether they could get medication to highly responsive brain areas more quickly. By looking at different biomarkers specific physical features used to measure the progress of a disease or condition in mice and rats, researchers came closer to identifying at what point in the biochemical process medication might become effective, which would ultimately lead to faster treatment.

Treating patients with rapid strategies is essential since some patients who suffer from depression are tempted to stop their medication if it doesnt work quickly enough.

Ongoing human studies using magnetoencephalography (MEG) are also helping to identify the specific brain circuits through which these rapid antidepressant effects occur. Identifying these precise circuits may lead to the development of molecules with even more precise effects, and therefor
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