SPECIAL K: KETAMINE BREAKTHROUGH IN TREATING DEPRESSION

Ketamine is the fastest growing drug on the dance scene, the chemical
of choice for tens of thousands of clubbers.

But the class C drug, which is abused for its hallucinogenic effects,
is now being hailed by scientists as a breakthrough treatment for
severe depressives.

New research has found that patients who have failed to respond to
more conventional drugs can be cured of depression within as little
as two hours with an injection of ketamine. A study by the National
Institute of Mental Health in Maryland found that in a third of cases
the mood-lifting effects of the horse tranquilliser, known as Special
K on the street, lasted at least a week.

This compares with prescription antidepressants that can take up to
eight weeks to have any positive impact on patients who are hard to
treat. Experts say that it could pave the way for a new class of
faster and longer-acting medications.

Researchers believe that ketamine reduces depression-like symptoms in
treatment of resistant people by blocking the protein or receptor in
the brain that regulates mood, unlike antidepressants currently
prescribed by doctors.

Ketamine is one of several banned drugs that have been found to have
therapeutic benefits. Ecstasy has proved effective for traumatised
servicemen who have fought in Iraq, and trials are also taking place
involving rape victims who are given the drug to help them to recount
their ordeals without triggering anxiety. Scientists have used LSD to
treat obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety.

However, mental health charities have reacted with caution to the
results of the ketamine trials. The charity Sane points out that many
people with mental health problems already self-medicate using
illegal drugs, and that not enough is known about their long-term side effects.

"While we know so little about the long-term effects and potential
damage of drugs such as ecstasy, it is difficult to welcome this as a
safe intervention," said Marjorie Wallace, Sane's chief executive.

How ketamine affects the brain

The drug shuts down thalmic processing and sensory input. The
thalamus, the hypothalamus and the cingulate gyrus, shown here
sitting between the brain stem and the large mass in the neocortex,
all shut down. Users loses their primary survival instincts and
emotional response centres shut down. Blood flow to the brain
increases. Users experience a lucid, dream-like state.

DRUG OR TONIC?

LSD Psychedelic drug induces heightened perceptions.

Therapeutic use: cancer patients suffering from anxiety,
concentration camp survivors.

Ecstasy (MDMA) Alters perception and mood. Therapists say it creates
a sense of emotional closeness.

Therapeutic use: victims of rape, traumatised soldiers.

Magic Mushrooms (Psilocybin) Mimics the effects of serotonin.

Therapeutic use: obsessive-compulsive disorder and cluster headaches.