Study finds ketamine may provide relief from depression in just 30 minutes

Depression has come across as a major cause for concern across the globe as a large number of people dying by suicide have been found to suffer from the disorder. While experts try to find a solution for depression, can drugs considered illegal help solve the crisis?

A new study suggests that illegal party drug ketamine can help provide relief from depression in just 30 minutes. The tranquiliser prevents brain signals from over firing and eases effects of the disorder.

While most anti-depressants take months to relieve depression by changing chemical levels in the brain, ketamine controls transmission of electrical signals through nerve cells. Ketamine can be legally prescribed by doctors as a general anaesthetic in humans and animals.

The findings also indicate that ketamine can prevent neural bursting which is caused when groups of nerves fire signals at once instead of a slow pulse.