Ketamine was first developed in 1962 as an IV anesthetic. It received FDA approval in 1970, primarily for use during the Vietnam War. It has an excellent safety record and continues to be a successful anesthetic used in hospitals, surgery centers and medical practices throughout the world! In the past several years, a large number of academic institutions and medical centers, including Johns Hopkins, Yale and Stanford University have performed numerous randomized controlled studies to show efficacy for its beneficial treatment.
The mechanism of action for Ketamine revolves around the neurotransmitter glutamate, which is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It serves a key role in neural activation and excitation. Accumulated evidence by researchers has demonstrated glutamate’s central role in mediating nearly all forms of brain function, including cognition, perception, learning and emotion. When ketamine is administered via slow infusion, a signaling pathway is created in the brain which leads to actual growth of neural connections. In addition, Ketamine is also a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, and since depression, like most disease models have shown to be, is highly correlated with chronic inflammation.
Of course the next practical question is that of cost. As insurance does not cover this treatment, it is important that we offer this service to patients at a reasonable price to avoid financial hardship. We are the most competitively priced clinic to offer this service in the Scottsdale and Mesa area.