The conversation around ketamine therapy is heating up. Research supports the idea that intravenous (IV) infusions of the drug could significantly improve depression and anxiety. One doctor is following a hypothesis that ketamine could offset cannabis use disorder. There is also the possibility that sublingual ketamine and infusions could help teens struggling with post-traumatic stress and bipolar disorders and more. Doctors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison hope to understand that latter connection further.
RELATED: Simple stunt transforms the weed sesh
Dr. Ryan Herringa, a child psychologist at UW-Madison, is leading the study, using psychotherapy alongside ketamine treatments to tackle PTSD in adolescents.
“Our hope is that by combining ketamine with psychotherapy and doing it in a very safe and structured setting, we’ll be able to enhance the therapeutic process of processing trauma memories for these kids,” Herringa said to Lake Geneva News.
Teenagers with PTSD have often seen or experienced horrific events like physical or sexual violence. Many find difficulty opening up in psychotherapy. Herringa hopes that monitored ketamine infusion in a safe space could help. The study seeks five participants to undergo therapy at UW Health’s American Family Children’s Hospital.
Participants will receive three 90-minute IV infusions of ketamine. Two therapists will be present for counseling. The study will take place over six weeks to ascertain how safe it is to administer therapeutic ketamine to teens. Internal donors of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances funded the investigation.
The Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances is a home base for lab research, clinical studies, and connections to the humanities. Through the center, graduate students uncovered that ketamine can hinder the brain when it is attempting to correlate experiences to a future outcome. For trauma patients, this can reshape their reality as they learn to stop expecting terror around every corner.
RELATED: What are cannabis lounges? And where can I find them?
This research is a cornerstone in the current look at ketamine for adolescent PTSD patients. Doctors are hoping that a combination of IV ketamine and psychotherapy will help kids revisit and process their trauma in a safe space.
The idea of giving kids ketamine may seem shocking, but this is not going to be used like a party drug. This study seeks to help children through their most challenging experiences in a whole new way. Dr. Herringa is looking for participants and hopes to start the research soon. With something like teen trauma on the line, even ketamine skeptics are likely hoping for success.
