美国国家公共电台 NPR--Smiling faces might help the drug ketamine keep depression at bay

Smiling faces might help the drug ketamine keep depression at bay

Transcript¹

Computer games designed to boost self-esteem appear to prolong the antidepressant benefits of the mind-bending anesthetic² ketamine.

A recent study of 154 people found that those who played games featuring smiling faces and positive messages remained free of depression up to three months after a ketamine infusion³, a team reports in the American Journal of Psychiatry⁴.

People who got ketamine alone tended to relapse after a week or two.

The results are important because "we need new approaches that help people get feeling better faster and help them stay feeling better," says Rebecca Price, an author of the study and an associate professor of psychiatry and psychology⁵ at the University of Pittsburgh.

Established drugs like Prozac and Zoloft can take weeks to ease depression, and don't work for every patient. Ketamine can offer immediate⁶ relief, but the effects often fade after a few days or weeks.

"And then returning for infusions⁷ over and over to keep that relief going can end up being really burdensome and costly," Price says, "and just isn't accessible to all patients."

How to extend ketamine's antidepressant effect

So Price and a team of researchers wanted to find a way to make ketamine's antidepressant effects last longer. They decided⁸ to focus on a common symptom of depression: low self-esteem and self-loathing.

The team drew on research suggesting that ketamine temporarily causes certain brain areas to enter a state in which they form lots of new connections. During this period, the brain seems to be more receptive to learning and change.

"So we tried to use that window of opportunity just after ketamine to strengthen associations specifically between the idea of me, myself, and positive information and attributes," Price says.

The team had some participants play special computer games for 30 to 40 minutes a day for four days after they received an infusion of ketamine.

Finding ways to strengthen positive connotations in the brain

In games that involved words, every time a player saw the letter "I" it was followed by positive terms like "good, lovable, sweet, worthy⁹, etc.," Price says.

In other games, participants were asked to click on a photo — of themselves or of a stranger — as soon as it flashed on one area of the screen.

"Every time they click on their own photo, what appears right afterwards in that same location is a smiling face," Price says.

The games had a surprisingly powerful effect.

"By doing these really simple computer exercises we could extend the antidepressant effect of one infusion of ketamine for at least a month," Price says, adding that the effect can last up to three months.

If those results hold up in larger studies and for a longer period of time, the approach could make ketamine treatment much more affordable¹⁰, says Dr. Sanjay Mathew, a professor of psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine and a co-author of the study.

Right now, insurance rarely covers the treatment, and a single ketamine infusion can cost from $300 to more than $800. "That's obviously a huge challenge for many patients and the biggest reason we can't send more patients to ketamine," Matthew says.

The cost is even greater for patients who receive a nasal version of a derivative¹¹ of ketamine called Spravato, which has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for treating suicidal depression and depression that hasn't responded to other treatments.

An automated¹², computerized addition to ketamine treatment would be welcomed right now because mental health professionals are in short supply, Mathew says.

"It could be disseminated¹³ widely in clinics that don't have resources to be able to engage in any number of psychotherapies that work on self-esteem and beliefs about oneself," he says.

It's also possible the combination approach could work for other conditions being treated with ketamine, including addiction¹⁴ and alcohol use disorder¹⁵, Mathew says.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 anesthetic   

n.麻醉剂，麻药；adj.麻醉的，失去知觉的

参考例句：

• He was given a general anesthetic.他被全身麻醉。
• He was still under the influence of the anesthetic.他仍处在麻醉状态。

3 infusion   

n.灌输

参考例句：

• Old families need an infusion of new blood from time to time.古老的家族需要不时地注入新鲜血液。
• Careful observation of the infusion site is necessary.必须仔细观察输液部位。

4 psychiatry   

n.精神病学，精神病疗法

参考例句：

• The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
• A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

5 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

6 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

7 infusions   

n.沏或泡成的浸液（如茶等）( infusion的名词复数 )；注入，注入物

参考例句：

• Intravenous infusions are also used to administer medications. 静脉输液也可作为一种给药方法。 来自辞典例句
• INTERPRETATION: GKI infusions significantly reduced plasma glucose concentrations and blood pressure. 结论：静脉滴注GKI显著降低血压和血糖浓度。 来自互联网

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

10 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

11 derivative   

n.派(衍)生物；adj.非独创性的，模仿他人的

参考例句：

• His paintings are really quite derivative.他的画实在没有创意。
• Derivative works are far more complicated.派生作品更加复杂。

12 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

13 disseminated   

散布，传播( disseminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。
• Berkovitz had contracted polio after ingesting a vaccine disseminated under federal supervision. 伯考维茨在接种了在联邦监督下分发的牛痘疫苗后传染上脊髓灰质炎。

14 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

15 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。