Use of Ketamine as an Anesthetic, Antidepressant, and Treatment for Irritability Associated with ASD
Sarahsihu Kim, Jiwoo Won, Dayeon Lee
Technium BioChemMed September 17, 2025 DOI: 10.47577/biochemmed.v13i.13203 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Topics | Esketamine Ketamine |
| Key points | Argues that ketamine's anesthetic and antidepressant effects share NMDA receptor blockade but differ in timing: rapid blockade causes dissociation and anesthesia, while slower blockade is proposed to engage the mTOR pathway, producing synaptogenesis and neural regeneration. The authors contend ketamine is beneficial for depression and irritability in Autism Spectrum Disorder but carries side effects and addiction risk, and they call for research on long-term outcomes. |
Abstract
This essay explores how ketamine operates as an anesthetic and as an antidepressant through separate but linked mechanisms. Drug repurposing is the application of a drug for a new medical use different from its original purpose, as indicated by the FDA. By comparison of peer-reviewed research on PubMed, NCBI, and clinical trials of ketamine's pharmacology, we find that the mechanism of its use in depression and irritability with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is derived from blocking the NMDA receptor. As an anesthetic, ketamine rapidly binds to the NMDA receptor and blocks signals that cause excitement and induces dissociation. As an antidepressant, ketamine slowly blocks NMDA receptors. This has the effect of creating the mTOR pathway, which causes synaptogenesis and neural regeneration. In either case, ketamine is beneficial, but must be watched as it has some side effects and is addictive. Future research is extremely vital in determining long-term side effects and realizing its full medical potential.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on ketamine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| From PCP to MXE: a comprehensive review of the non-medical use of dissociative drugs. | 2014 | Historical analysis | |
| A Dendrite-Focused Framework for Understanding the Actions of Ketamine and Psychedelics | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Neuroscience and the Near-Death Experience: Roles for the NMSA-PCP receptor, the sigma receptor and the endopsychosins | 1990 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| A unified model of ketamine's dissociative and psychedelic properties. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| An Integrative Approach to Ketamine Therapy May Enhance Multiple Dimensions of Efficacy: Improving Therapeutic Outcomes With Treatment Resistant Depression. | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |