About this episode
In this episode, I explain how ketamine causes rewiring of brain circuits and dissociative states to relieve symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I explain how ketamine impacts both the brain’s glutamate and its endogenous opioid pathways, which together regulate mood and well-being. I discuss how ketamine therapy is used clinically to treat major depression, bipolar depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), suicidality and other psychiatric challenges. I also describe how ketamine causes the subjective effects of dissociation and euphoria and, at higher doses, is an anesthetic. I compare the different routes of ketamine administration, dosages and forms of ketamine, and if micro-dosing ketamine is effective. I also highlight the potential risks of recreational ketamine use (and the colloquial term ‘K-holes’). This episode should interest anyone interested in ketamine, treatments for depression, neuroplasticity mechanisms, psychiatry and mental health. For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com . Use Ask Huberman Lab , our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Ketamine (00:02:46) Sponsors: LMNT & Waking Up (00:05:13) Ketamine & PCP; Clinical & Recreational Use (00:09:00) Depression & Current Treatments (00:15:17) Preclinical Models of Depression & Ketamine; “Learned Helplessness” (00:22:11) Ketamine & Clinical Uses; Depression & Suicidality (00:28:32) Ketamine & Other Psychiatric Challenges; Relief & Durability (00:33:40) Sponsor: AG1 (Athletic Greens) (00:34:29) NMDA Receptor & Neuroplasticity (00:41:36) Excitatory & Inhibitory Communication, Seizure, NMDA Receptors & Ketamine (00:48:26) How Ketamine Functions in Brain; Acute & Long-Term Effects (00:55:36) Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) & Ketamine Therapy (01:03:40) Ketamine & Opioid Pathway (01:10:00) Divergent Mechanisms of Immediate & Long-Term Effects (01:15:45) Habenula, Pro-Depressive Behaviors & Ketamine Therapy (01:20:36) Ketamine & Context-Dependent Strategy; Reward Pathway (01:22:45) Dissociative States (01:26:04) Doses & Routes of Administration; “K-holes”; Risk & Caution (01:32:25) Ketamine Forms; R-, S- vs R/S- Ketamine; Micro-Dosing (01:38:24) Ketamine: Effects & Therapy (01:40:40) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices