- Researchers investigated whether ketamine may induce changes in the brain that are similar to psychosis.
- They found that ketamine increases background noise, which may interfere with how the brain processes sensory signals.
- The researchers conducted their study on rats, meaning that further research is needed to see how the findings may apply to humans.
Schizophrenia is characterized by changes in how a person perceives reality, including experiencing persistent delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking. The condition affects around
The exact cause of schizophrenia remains unknown. However, studies suggest that the condition may arise from environmental, psychological, and genetic factors.
A drug known as ketamine induces a mental state similar to psychosis in healthy individuals by
Experts believe that similar changes in NMDA receptors could be linked to perception changes in schizophrenia. How this may be the case, however, has remained unknown.
Recently, researchers examined how ketamine affects sensory perception in the brains of rats.
They found that ketamine increased “background noise” in the brain, making sensory signals less defined or pronounced. This, they noted, may explain the distorted perception of reality among people with schizophrenia or psychosis.
Their findings appeared in the
Dr. Sam Zand, a psychiatrist based in Las Vegas, not involved in the study, commented on these findings, telling Medical News Today that they “suggest that dysfunction in NMDA receptors may play a role in the development of psychosis.”
“The study provides new insights into the mechanism by which ketamine may induce psychotic symptoms. The findings may help to inform the development of new treatments for psychosis that target…
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