Publication at Central Library of Charles University |
2010
Abstract
Ketamine is known from its use in anesthesiology and resuscitation, where it is widely used for its excellent anesthetic and analgesic effects. It mainly acts as a non competitive antagonist of NMDA glutamate receptor, and produces dissociative effect in sub-anesthetic doses.
Its psychoactive potential was described over 30 years ago and since then, it has been intensively studied not only in anesthesiology, but mostly in psychiatry. This review will summarize its history, chemical structure, mechanisms of action on molecular and neuroanatomical level, its relation to schizophrenia, depression and cognition, and finally its illicit use.