Ketamine produces wide variety of responses in the brain, researchers find
- Cadiz Salazar
- Jan 31
- 2 min read
For over two decades, ketamine has been a breakthrough treatment for treatment-resistant depression, offering relief when traditional medications fail. However, only about 65% of patients respond to ketamine therapy. A new Yale-led study, published on April 17 in eLife, helps explain why.
Ketamine Affects Each Brain Differently
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers found that ketamine does not produce the same effect in every brain. Instead, it triggers a range of unique response patterns, challenging the assumption that psychiatric treatments work the same way for all patients.
Interestingly, the study revealed that ketamine creates more distinct brain activity patterns than psilocybin or LSD, suggesting its effects are highly individualized.
Gene Expression May Predict Treatment Response
To explore why responses vary, the research team analyzed a database of gene expression patterns in the human brain. They found a strong link between ketamine’s effects and interneurons—specialized brain cells that regulate excitatory activity.
This suggests that a person’s genetic profile could influence how they respond to ketamine. In the future, brain scans and genetic testing might help doctors predict who will benefit most from ketamine therapy, making depression treatment more precise and personalized.
A Step Toward Personalized Psychiatry
“These findings support the possibility of developing individualized biomarkers for treatment selection in psychiatry using neuroimaging,” said Alan Anticevic, a senior researcher on the study and professor of psychiatry and psychology at Yale.
The research was led by Jie Lisa Ji, a former Yale neuroscience graduate student, and Flora Moujaes, a postdoctoral fellow in Anticevic’s lab. Katrin Preller, a visiting assistant professor of psychiatry, was also a senior author.
By uncovering the biological factors that influence ketamine’s effectiveness, this study moves psychiatry closer to precision medicine, where treatments are tailored to each person’s unique brain chemistry—offering new hope for those struggling with depression.
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