AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Dr. Nolan Williams: Psychedelics & Neurostimulation for Brain Rewiring
Huberman Lab
Is Ketamine a Dissociative Anesthetic?
5min Snip
00:00
Summary
Comments
Transcript
Episode notes
Ketamine operates as a dissociative anesthetic, inducing states where individuals can detach from their emotions, and it has been noted that the degree of dissociation correlates with its antidepressant effects. Research indicates that those who do not experience meaningful psychological or dissociative changes from ketamine tend to experience weaker antidepressant results. Interestingly, ketamine's antidepressant capabilities may also involve opioid receptor interactions, which could differentiate its effects from other emerging treatments for depression such as psilocybin and MDMA, which promote engaged emotional states. A study involving participants receiving both ketamine and an opioid antagonist revealed a significant reduction in antidepressant effects when the opioid system was blocked, emphasizing that the opioid properties of ketamine might play a crucial role in achieving therapeutic benefits. This suggests that the mechanisms behind depression may be multifaceted, warranting further investigation into how different states—dissociative versus hyper-associative—affect the treatment outcomes for depression.
Get the Snipd
podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any
moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share
& Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode