Philip Borsellino, Reese I. Krider, Deanna Chea, Ryan Grinnell (Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine students), and assistant professor Thomas Vida (Medical Education) published "Ketamine and the Disinhibition Hypothesis: Neurotrophic Factor-Mediated Treatment of Depression" in the journal Pharmaceuticals. Traditional antidepressant medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; i.e. Prozac) often fail to help with depression. This treatment-resistant depression affects nearly 300 million people worldwide. Ketamine is a promising alternative to traditional medications like SSRIs for depression and other mental health conditions. Unlike these traditional medications, ketamine can be fast-acting (within hours) and effective in emergency situations such as during a suicide crisis. Their paper describes recent research that suggests depression is caused by changes in the way neurons in the brain are connected rather than a chemical imbalance. Ketamine stimulates the brain to release growth factors that promote rapid changes to repair these neuronal disconnections. This can help restore parts of the brain that are affected by depression and other mental health conditions. Ketamine is changing the way we treat depression, and is offering new hope for people who have not responded to other treatments.