Case Study: Ketamine Treatment Reverses Amblyopia
In recent years, ketamine treatments have been safely administered in low doses as an alternative to traditional antidepressants. Patients can receive these treatments through an IV or in the form of Spravato Nasal Spray—both of which have proven to be effective remedies for depression, anxiety, PTSD and more.
Background
Although ketamine is generally used as an anesthetic, or to treat depression and related maladies, a recent case study shows that subanesthetic ketamine can be used to successfully treat amblyopia, also known as lazy eye.
Mayo Clinic writes that lazy eye (amblyopia) is reduced vision in one eye caused by abnormal visual development early in life. The weaker — or lazy — eye often wanders inwards or outwards.
Amblyopia generally develops from birth up to age 7 years of age, and is the leading cause of decreased vision among children.
Results
Dr. Steve Greico, along with a number of other post-doctoral scholars, studied the effects of subanesthetic ketamine as a treatment for lazy eye in adult mice over the course of several days.
In an interview with MedicalResearch.com, Dr. Greico states, “Our group, the Xiangmin Xu laboratory, at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) has uncovered the mechanism of action by which a single low dose of ketamine induces neural plasticity in the brain, or at least in the visual cortex. The visual cortex has a ‘critical period’ during development, which is a window of time in which neural circuits are highly plastic. If one eye has poor inputs during this critical period, the brain will ultimately ignore that eye, resulting in permanent non-reversible vision loss, a condition known as amblyopia or ’lazy eye’.”
Dr. Greico goes on to say, “To our amazement, experimental animals which were made to have a lazy eye, recovered vision in that eye even as adults if given a ketamine treatment. This unequivocally proves the potential of ketamine to induce significant levels of neural plasticity.”
For more reporting on this exciting discovery, please click here for detailed info from the UCI School of Medicine.
Ketamine Treatments at New Pathways Clinic
Ketamine is taking the world by storm. Whether you are living with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or some other condition, ketamine treatments may be your solution. If you or someone you know is suffering from a treatment-resistant condition, New Pathways Clinic in Cleveland is here to help. Contact us to schedule an appointment and experience the life-changing benefits of ketamine treatments today.
While you’re here, feel free to read FAQs and answers about ketamine treatments to gain more understanding on this remarkable treatment option. You can also schedule a free, no-strings-attached consultation to learn if ketamine or Spravato is right for you.