Ketamine has been shown to stimulate neuron growth in the brain in as quickly as one hour. Many scientists studying ketamine focus on the neurotransmitter glutamate, which plays an important role in neural activation.

It is believed that one of the leading causes of depression and various other mood disorders is the overactivity of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the brain, particularly in the lateral habenula. Ketamine helps mood disorders by attaching to the NMDA receptor and blocking it from being activated by glutamate, a neurotransmitter, thereby helping to mute the effects of depression symptoms.

By connecting to those receptors, ketamine may be able to amplify the number of glutamate neurotransmitters in the empty space between neurons. Glutamate then interacts with the AMPA receptors.

Together, these receptors bring about the discharge of multiple molecules that boost the brain’s neuroplasticity – essentially, ketamine infusions allow the brain to reset and restore important nerve connections.