JERUSALEM, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have found that the anesthetic drug Ketamine is effective, fast and safe for reducing depression by oral administration, a report said Thursday.
The report was published Thursday by the Tel Aviv Medical Center.
Rapid treatment for depression is a new and evolving field, as it currently takes at least three weeks to achieve a significant clinical effect.
In recent years, information has been accumulated that giving Ketamine by infusion can help reduce depressive symptoms quickly.
Ketamine, widely used in pain, pediatric and emergency treatment, works by blocking receptors for pain and preventing reabsorption of the neural transporter glutamate. Many scientists believe that this neurotransmitter is one of the main requirements for proper brain function.
The new study examined the possibility of oral administration of the drug, as opposed to previous studies that examined the use of Ketamine by infusion. This may pave the way for treatment either at the patient's home or local clinics.
The results showed that Ketamine helped reduce symptoms of depression within hours, and that relief continued throughout the study period, whereas a group of patients treated with placebo demonstrated no similar improvement.
Furthermore, 27 percent of the patients taking Ketamine orally showed disappearance of the symptoms of depression, whereas none of the placebo group showed similar symptoms.
In terms of safety of the treatment, only minor side effects were recorded, such as fatigue, nausea and dizziness, passing within an hour, the report said.
