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2 papers
Research on ketamine for anxiety is early but shows some promising signs. A small number of clinical trials report that ketamine can reduce anxiety symptoms for some people, sometimes for weeks after treatment. However, the studies are few, varied in how they were done, and often small, so we do not yet have strong, clear proof. Scientists have ideas about how ketamine may work. It acts on the brain’s glutamate system and seems to change how brain circuits connect and adapt. But measurements like blood BDNF (a protein linked to brain change) do not show a clear pattern after these drugs, so the biological story is still incomplete. Safety and the role of therapy around the drug are important topics that need more study.
This review looked at many studies about classic psychedelics (like psilocybin and LSD), MDMA, ketamine, and plant medicines (like ayahuasca). The authors explain how these drugs can change the brain’s wiring, calm inflammatory processes, and shift key brain chemicals. Those actions may help explain why small clinical trials and animal…
Researchers pooled results from 29 human studies that measured blood levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, after people received so-called psychoplastogen drugs such as ketamine or psychedelics. They found no clear change in blood BDNF after these drugs. The authors say this does not prove the…
