One of the most exciting aspects of working with ketamine is that researchers keep finding new ways to use this drug. In the 1970s, ketamine was introduced as a dissociative anesthesia and used widely on the battlefield during the Vietnam War. For the next several decades, ketamine was used as an anesthetic or analgesic for patients who had adverse reactions to other medications. In the 1990s, Yale researchers discovered the incredible antidepressant effects of ketamine, and—since then—ketamine has been in studies for its potential to treat alcoholism and drug addiction, Alzheimer’s, and now, autism.
A recent study conducted at the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, and published in Human Genetics and Genome Advances, found that a low-dose ketamine infusion was a safe, effective, and well-tolerated treatment for children diagnosed with ADNP syndrome. ADNP syndrome is a rare neurological disorder caused by mutations in the ADNP gene. Mutations in the ADNP are the single most common cause of autism.
Key findings of the study include:
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- A low-dose ketamine infusion increased levels of the ADNP protein, thus compensating for the loss of this protein in patients with ADNP syndrome
- The ketamine infusion was well-tolerated by all study participants, with side effects including elation, fatigue, and increased aggression.
- After the ketamine infusion, patients reported improvements in a number of areas, including social behavior, attention deficit and hyperactivity, reduced repetitive behaviors, and sensory sensitivities.
- The positive results of the ketamine infusion lasted for at least one week
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This is a highly promising study that could give ketamine another new and miraculous use in the medical field. Of course, the study at Mount Sinai was the first of its kind, and more research is needed to confirm the use of ketamine for ADNP syndrome. There are so few ways to prevent autism, that any hope is welcomed!
At Emerge Ketamine, we offer ketamine infusions for the treatment of psychiatric disorders and chronic pain conditions. The use of ketamine for depression and chronic pain is backed by decades of research and science, and is proven to be one of the most effective treatments available for these conditions.
Contact Emerge Ketamine
If you or a loved one lives in the greater Boston area and is suffering from severe depression, anxiety, PTSD or chronic pain, we urge you to contact us to learn more about ketamine therapy. We offer in-home ketamine treatments in the greater Boston area, as well as ketamine infusions at our treatment center in Woburn, MA. Complete the brief form below to learn more about us, and find out of you are a candidate for ketamine therapy.
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