New research shows PTSD symptoms can be prevented with ketamine
Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have found that a single dose of ketamine, given one week before a stressful event, can buffer against a heightened fear response.
The study, conducted in mice, suggests that prophylactic administration of ketamine - a drug commonly used as general anesthetic or a rapid-acting antidepressant - might prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in soldiers and others who subsequently experience psychological trauma.
The study was published online in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
"Ketamine is a powerful drug, and we wouldn't advocate widespread use for preventing or reducing PTSD symptoms. But if our results in mice translate to humans, giving a single dose of ketamine in a vaccine-like fashion could have great benefit for people who are highly likely to experience significant stressors, such as members of the military or aid workers going into conflict zones," said study leader Christine A. Denny, PhD, assistant professor of clinical neurobiology in Psychiatry at CUMC.
There are few effective therapies for preventing or treating PTSD, an anxiety disorder that occurs in about one-quarter of individuals who experience psychological trauma. PTSD symptoms include re-living the trauma - experiencing repeated flashbacks, hyperarousal, and hyperreactivity - as well as mood changes, psychological numbing, and chronic physical symptoms such as headache. The likelihood that symptoms will develop depends on the nature and intensity of the trauma and an individual's response.
Previous studies, in both humans and animals, have shown that giving ketamine before trauma can help reduce stress-related symptoms. However, it was not clear when the drug should be administered relative to a traumatic episode in order to maximize its protective effects ...