How Ketamine is Curing Depression

Researchers have identified the ketamine breakdown product that gives the drug its antidepressant effects, which could lead to faster, more-effective mood stabilizers in the future.

When the antidepressant effects of ketamine were first reported a decade ago, the anesthetic drug seemed likely to change the way doctors treat the most persistent cases of depression. Since 2006, the surgical drug has been shown to work in patients with treatment-resistant depression and provide relief much faster than mood stabilizers like SSRIs.