Data from research about ketamine-assisted therapy suggests that repeated treatment alleviates symptom severity in patients who are diagnosed with PTSD. More importantly, this progress seems to occur rapidly, and it is sustainable for weeks after treatment. In honor of June being PTSD Awareness Month, we’re going to dive deeper into what is PTSD, identify symptoms, and how ketamine-assisted therapy can be used to treat PTSD-related symptoms. 

What is PTSD?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also referred to as PTSD, is a “psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist attack, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence, or serious injury” 

(source: Psychiatry.org)

What are symptoms of PTSD?

1. Intrusive memories (such as flashbacks, recurring memories of the event, severe emotional or physical responses to triggers, nightmares)
2. Avoidance (avoiding any discussion or thoughts of the event, avoiding people, places, and things that remind you of the event)
3. Negative changes in thinking or mood (hopelessness, detachment, losing interest in things that you once enjoyed, numbness)
4. Changes in physical and emotional responses (easily startled or frightened, difficulty sleeping & concentrating, irritable, engaging in self-destructive behaviors, always on-guard for danger)

(Source: mayoclinic.org)

What does ketamine-assisted therapy do?

Ketamine targets NMDA receptors in the brain. By binding to these receptors, ketamine appears to increase the amount of a neurotransmitter called glutamate in the spaces between neurons. Glutamate then activates connections in another receptor, called the AMPA receptor. Together, the initial blockade of NMDA receptors and activation of AMPA receptors leads to the release of other molecules that help neurons communicate with each other along new pathways. Known as synaptogenesis, this process likely affects mood, thought patterns, and cognition.

History of ketamine-assisted therapy and its use as treatment for PTSD.

During the 1990 war in Iraq, soldiers who were injured during combat that had ketamine administered to them as a sedative rarely reported symptoms of PTSD, whereas soldiers who were administered other sedatives did.

(Source: klarityclinic.com)

How does ketamine-assisted therapy alleviate symptoms of PTSD?

According to research done on PTSD, it can be inferred that alarmingly low levels of a key hormone called “Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor” are attributed to PTSD. Reversing these low levels of BDNF is crucial when it comes to treating patients with PTSD.

When ketamine is administered to a patient, it boosts neuroplasticity by increasing BDNF, which then encourages “the reversal of the loss of connectivity between neurons caused by chronic PTSD.” It also blocks glutamate receptors, which is a neurotransmitter that is known to cause brain excitotoxicity and inflammation. 

(Source: psychiatrycenters.com)

If you struggle with PTSD, it is important to know that there is hope for you, and that there are treatments out there that can help you. Contact us to learn more about ketamine-assisted therapy, and if it is right for you!

Sources:

• https://www.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2021/repeated-ketamine-infusions-reduce-symptom-severity-in-individuals-with-chronic-post-traumatic-stress-disorder
• https://www.klarityclinic.com/blog/understanding-the-science-behind-ketamine-treatment-for-ptsd 
• https://psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd