Ketamine Produces a Long-Lasting Enhancement of CA1 Neuron Excitability
bioRxiv Preprint Server – May 26, 2021
Source: bioRxiv
Summary
Ketamine surprisingly boosts brain cell activity for days. The aim was to understand how this compound achieves its rapid, lasting antidepressant benefits at a cellular level. Investigations examined individual neurons and their networks, tracking effect duration and the role of specific brain receptors. It was discovered that the compound significantly enhances the excitability of particular brain cells, a positive effect persisting for days. This beneficial change is strongly linked to its interaction with key brain receptors, offering a clearer picture of its therapeutic mechanism.
Abstract
Background Ketamine is a clinical anaesthetic and a fast-acting, long-lasting antidepressant. Ketamine is known for its antagonistic actions on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, but mechanisms leading to antidepression are not clear. The present study examined synaptic, neuronal and circuit-level loci, the duration of ketamine’s actions, and the involvement of NMDA receptors in these actions.