Olson named this class of drugs вЂњpsychoplastogensвЂќ because they encourage neural plasticity, or the regrowth of structures that make connections between neurons. Olson joined the UCВ Davis faculty in 2015, and in 2018, his group published papers showing that a wide variety of psychedelics could cause nerve cells to form new connections and that they could help rodents overcome вЂњfear responsesвЂќ - a model for anxiety and PTSD. Olson wondered if there might be other molecules with a similar effect and started to look at psychedelics such as LSD, MDMA and DMT (the active component in the herbal drug ayahuasca). Ketamine appears to act by reversing this atrophy and repairing neural connections in the brain. The treatment has to be given in a clinical setting, where the patient is monitored for several hours.ДЄ common feature of disorders such as depression, anxiety and PTSD is atrophy, or withering of neurons in the prefrontal cortex. Food and Drug Administration approved esketamine, a version of the drug delivered as a nasal spray, for treatment of severe, treatment. It works across a range of indications including depression, PTSD and substance abuse. Ketamine acts within hours, and the effect of a single treatment can last for up to a week, Olson said. But it also turns out to be a remarkably effective antidepressant.

Ketamine is used as an anesthetic and also abused as a recreational drug. UCВ Davis associate professor in chemistry David Olson became interested in psychedelic drugs for psychiatric treatment as a postdoctoral researcher at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts.ДЄt the time, a lot of research focused on ketamine, Olson said. Not all patients respond to current treatments, and they are based on a limited understanding of the root causes of mental illness.

They are slow-acting, taking days or weeks to show effect. вЂњWe have a repertoire of effective treatments that we didnвЂ™t have 30 or 40 years ago.вЂќДЄt the same time, existing drugs have drawbacks, Carter said. About 1 in 5 Americans live with some form of mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.Дrugs are available to help these patients, said Cameron Carter, distinguished professor in the UCВ Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Center for Neuroscience. UCВ Davis scientists are among the small group of licensed researchers pushing the field forward - including launching startup companies to help bring these new drugs to market. But in the past few years, researchers have started taking a closer look at these compounds, finding potential for new treatments for psychiatric and central nervous system problems such as seizures, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Fo r decades, possession and use of drugs like LSD and cannabis has come with a threat of prosecution and jail time.

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