Ketamine: 50 Years of Modulating the Mind
Linda Li1, Phillip E Vlisides2
1Department of Internal Medicine, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|December 15, 2016
Summary
Ketamine anesthesia may work by disrupting frontal-to-parietal brain communication. This mechanism, along with its safety profile, makes ketamine vital in anesthesiology and critical care.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Anesthesiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Ketamine, introduced in the 1960s, is a clinically useful anesthetic with diverse neurophysiological effects.
- Its precise mechanisms of action on the central nervous system are still under investigation.
- Ketamine is valued for maintaining cardiorespiratory stability during sedation and analgesia.
Approach:
- Investigating ketamine's unique properties to understand fundamental anesthetic mechanisms.
- Exploring the hypothesis that ketamine anesthesia disrupts corticocortical information transfer.
- Reviewing historical data, pharmacology, and proposed mechanisms of action.
Key Points:
- Ketamine anesthesia may function by disrupting frontal-to-parietal "top-down" information transfer.
- This proposed mechanism is observed across different anesthetic classes.
- Ketamine is crucial for its cardiorespiratory stability, sedation, and analgesia.
Conclusions:
- Ketamine's role in anesthesiology and critical care is well-established.
- Emerging evidence suggests potential therapeutic applications for refractory depression and PTSD.
- Further research into ketamine's mechanisms and applications is ongoing.
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