Ketamine Mechanism
September 30, 2019 DOI: 10.64239/pi-qt0702
Summary
Ketamine's antidepressant effects may actually be mediated through the opioid system rather than the NMDA receptor. This conclusion is supported by findings that blocking opiate receptors with naltrexone also blocked the antidepressant effect of ketamine.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Blocking opiate receptors with naltrexone blocked the antidepressant effect of ketamine. |
|---|
Abstract
Ketamine’s antidepressant effects, previously thought to involve the NMDA receptor, may be produced through the opioid system (because blocking opiate receptors with naltrexone blocked the antidepressant effect).