Our infusions – how do they work in the brain?

For Depression:

The medication we use is an old-fashioned anaesthetic medication, which anaesthetists use to put people to sleep for operations, and provides sedation for painful procedures.

One of the reasons it works for depression is that it builds new connections in the brain. This is known as “Neuroplasticity”.

It does this by first blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, causing a surge in the neurotransmitter glutamate, which, through a series of brain chemical reactions, results in an increase in a nerve-growth hormone called Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). This is the chemical which causes new neural connections to be formed in the brain.

Another mechanism by which it may work in the brain is to subdue a certain part of the cortex, known as the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC). The SgACC has been shown to be over-activated in patients with treatment-resistant depression. In various studies, it has been demonstrated that our medication has a calming effect on the SgACC.

It also has a weak effect on opioid receptors, as well as reducing cravings for alcohol.

For Pain:

Our medication works by blocking a pain receptor in the brain, the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. In chronic pain states this NMDA receptor is over-stimulated, and contributes towards the ongoing perception of pain by the brain. This perception of pain can continue even after the original pain stimulus has been removed/resolved.

It also works by:

• enhancing the body’s own anti-pain pathways in the spinal cord (descending inhibition of pain signals)
• causing anti-inflammatory effects in the brain and spinal cord
• building new connections in the brain. This is known as “Neuroplasticity”.

You will need to come for a minimum number of 6 infusions over a 3-week period, for the medication to have a lasting effect, as the brain needs multiple treatments for the Neuroplasticity to occur. After that, you will need to come about once a month to maintain the effect.

If you come for just 1 infusion, you will experience an increase in mood and a reduction in your chronic pain, but the effect will wear off over about 2-3 days. Thus the need for at least 6 infusions for it to be of lasting benefit.