This podcast episode discusses research on using ketamine to treat cocaine use disorder. The discussion highlights studies showing ketamine’s potential to reduce cocaine cravings and improve brain function in both animal models and human trials, by affecting neurotransmitters like dopamine and brain regions associated with reward and negative emotions. While acknowledging the need for further research, especially regarding sex differences in response, the speakers present ketamine as a promising new treatment option, contrasting its mechanisms with those of other medications currently used off-label for cocaine addiction. The podcast emphasizes a shift in addiction treatment paradigms, from solely focusing on abstinence to also considering harm reduction through decreased cocaine use. Finally, the episode speculates on the potential broader applications of ketamine’s brain-rewiring properties for treating other conditions like trauma.

Based on the paper: 

Liriano, A., Gu, X., Zuo, W., & Ye, J. (2023). Subanesthetic ketamine for reducing the harm of cocaine use disorder. INNOSC Theranostics and Pharmacological Sciences, 8(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.36922/itps.445