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Mechanism of action of ketamine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2013

Stephen M. Stahl
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Abstract

ISSUE:Ketamine induces rapid-onset and short-duration improvement in depressive and suicidal symptoms in both treatment-resistant unipolar depression and bipolar depression, and also reduces chronic pain after short intravenous infusions. In order to develop long-acting oral agents with the same clinical effects, the pharmacologic mechanism of action must be understood, and the leading hypotheses are discussed here.

Type
Brainstorms
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , August 2013 , pp. 171 - 174
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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