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.
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.
In games that involved words, every time a player saw the letter “I” it was followed by positive terms like “good, lovable, sweet, worthy, 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.
