How Does Ketamine Work in the Brain & is it Addictive?
Ketamine's unusual mechanism of action make it reinforcing & psychoactive, but with a low addiction liability.
Ketamine is a hell of a drug. It’s been used for decades as an anesthetic and has recently seen renewed scientific interest for its ability to induce rapid (though temporary) antidepressant effects. It is also used recreationally for its dissociative psychoactivity.
The type of effect you get depends on the dose. Low, sub-psychoactive doses can yield antidepressant effects. At higher doses you get psychoactive effects ranging from alcohol-like intoxication to complete psychological dissociation. At even higher doses, anesthesia.
How can one drug have such a wide range of effects? The answer has to do with ketamine’s mechanisms of action, some which we will explore here in the context of addiction.
One unresolved aspect of ketamine has been its addictive potential. People choose to use ketamine recreationally, so it clearly has rewarding properties which motivate consumption. But is it addictive? How addictive? Given rising popular awareness and the pro…
