Preparing Brain Connections as a Guide for Depression Medication

A new model may explain how ketamine provides lasting relief from depression symptoms after its effects wear off.

• Ketamine may prime synapses to enhance the effects of future doses.
• This review discusses a dosing strategy called primer pharmacology to optimize treatment outcomes.
• There is a potential link between ketamine's drug properties and its long-lasting effects on depression.
• The mechanisms activated by antidepressant treatments may overlap with those triggered by stress and therapy.
• Emerging treatments, like psychedelics, could offer new strategies for enhancing antidepressant effects.

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