Ketamine Drug

• 20 Dec 2023

Source: IE

Why in News?

In recent times, drug Ketamine has surged into the spotlight, triggering debates and discussions surrounding its application, effects, and safety concerns.

What are the Key Facts about Ketamine?

• About:
  • Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic. Doctors use it to induce general anesthesia that does not require muscle relaxation.
    • General anesthesia denotes a sleep-like state, while dissociative refers to the state of detachment from the body and the outside world.
  • Developed as an animal anesthetic in the 1960s, later approved by the United StatesFood and Drug Administration (FDA) for human use.
  • Recently used to treat depression and mental illnesses, also used recreationally.
    • Recreational use involves snorting, injecting, or smoking.
  • Administered through intravenous (IV), nasal spray, or tablet for mental illness treatment.
• Effects of Ketamine:
  • Ketamine works by blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the brain.
    • This receptor is involved in the transmission of pain signals and in the regulation of mood. By blocking the NMDA receptor, ketamine can produce analgesia (pain relief) and euphoria.
  • It can create pleasant visualizations and a sense of detachment
  • Ketamine can produce hallucinations similarly to other drugs such as Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and angel dust.
    • Hallucinations are distorted perceptions of sounds and sights.
• Safety of Ketamine Consumption:
  • Ketamine, deemed safe for medicinal use by some doctors, faces reported risks like addiction and cognitive impairment in high doses. Limited research hampers understanding of prolonged safety of the drug.