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Happiness Is a Warm K

Monday, August 27, 2007 05:28 AM

Scientists are now looking at and experimenting with the animal tranquilizer ketamine – or Special K, as it's known on the street – in their search for a faster-acting antidepressant. Well, of course. Now that we think of it, James St James, who's been experimenting with the drug for years, seems always to be in a good mood.

In a small experiment led by researcher Dr. Carlos Zarate last year, five of 18 people who received a single intravenous dose of ketamine experienced a dramatic lifting of their depression the first day and were still much better a week later. All patients in the experiment had first tried regular antidepressants but did not improve on them, according to the study published last August in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

(LA Times; t/y Beau)