Ketamine could help treat depression in women, a new study claims.
Researchers looked at the effects of the illegal drug, an animal tranquilizer turned into a popular club drug, in female rats.
They found low-doses of ketamine given a week prior to a stressful event helped them become more resilient to future adverse events as it does in male rats.
Previous rat studies performed have found the drug is a promising treatment for depression, but its effect in female rats was unknown – which is alarming since stress-related disorders affect women at nearly twice the rate of men.
A new study found ketamine could
For the study, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology gave female rats 10 milligrams of ketamine a week prior to them receiving an electric shock to their tail – an experience that should have made them less explorative next day when placed in a new cage.
They found that the ketamine-treated female rats were just as sociable as the control group females that did not suffer the tail shock stress.
Researchers also used fluorescent proteins to show how neurons in the pre-frontal cortex were activated by low-dose ketamine.
The study revealed the drug combats stress-induced anxiety-like behavior, like depression and PTSD, by triggering neurons in the pre-frontal cortex, an area of the brain that helps regulate emotional and behavioral functioning.
They went on to show a neural circuit involving the prelimbic cortex and dorsal raphe nucleus was responsible for ketamine’s resilience-promoting effects.
The research published in eNeuro addresses a critical gap in understanding and developing treatments for stress-related disorders.
‘Despite promising results of preclinical studies performed in male rats, the effects of proactive ketamine in female rats remains unknown,’ said researcher Dr Samuel Dolzani, of the University of Colorado Boulder.
‘This is alarming given that stress-related disorders affect females at nearly twice the rate of males.’
Dr Dolzani said stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), affect females at nearly twice the rate of males and are among the leading causes of disability worldwide.
Only one third of patients prescribed conventional drugs achieve full 117 remission, underscoring the need for more effective therapeutic modalities.
‘A first of its kind study in female rats finds that a single, low dose of ketamine promotes resilience to future adverse events as it does in male rats,’ Dr Dolzani said.
This follows a study last year that found ketamine was twice as effective as standard drugs at treating depression.
Research conducted by scientists at Oxford University last year found that 42 percent of people with depression treated with ketamine experienced significant short-term improvement – compared to two in ten for traditional anti-depressants such as prozac.
Another 2017 study conducted by research team at the University of New South Wales found low doses of the party drug cured 50 percent of people over the age of 60 from depression.
Recreational ketamine users say it creates a ‘floaty’ feeling where mind and body feel detached.
Researchers are also testing whether ketamine could be a cure for alcoholism.
Early trials found it cut relapse rates by more than 50 per cent among heavy boozers.