Episode 46 - The Clinician's Guide to Ketamine Therapy (Episodes from the Vault)
The comprehensive clinical foundation for medical professionals - covering ketamine's evolution, mechanisms, and evidence-based protocols for depression, PTSD, anxiety, and chronic pain treatment.
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Show Notes
We're taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming for the holidays to bring you something a bit different: a foundational episode that covers everything you need to know about ketamine therapy in one comprehensive resource.
Sam originally delivered this presentation to the UCLA and Betty Ford Addiction Medicine Fellowship, and it's become one of those episodes that medical professionals, curious physicians, and anyone seriously exploring this field have come back to. It covers ketamine's complete story, from its fascinating medical history to current research and real-world implementation protocols.
Whether you're considering ketamine therapy for your own practice, trying to understand this rapidly evolving field, or just want a solid clinical foundation, this is your starting point. We bridge the gap between academic research and practical clinical application, breaking down complex pharmacology and patient selection in a way that's actually accessible.
This is part of our "Episodes from the Vault" series, bringing back content that continues to serve as a go-to resource for healthcare providers across specialties. For those who may recall, this was originally released as Episode 31. The presentation format lets us go deep on each topic while keeping everything practically relevant for actual clinical decision-making.
This episode is especially valuable if you're evaluating ketamine therapy integration, seeking to understand the evidence base, or looking to enhance your patient education and staff training.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
・Ketamine's journey from battlefield anesthetic to breakthrough mental health treatment
・Evidence-based mechanisms of action and clinical research findings
・Practical patient selection criteria, dosing protocols, and safety considerations for clinical practice
Episode 46 show notes:
00:00 - Teaser - Mental health crisis statistics and ketamine's role
00:27 - Introduction to Episodes from the Vault series
01:19 - Sam's presentation introduction and off-label use disclosure
01:52 - Presentation Overview: Three-part structure: mental health/history, mechanisms/studies, patient selection/protocols
02:19 - Part 1: Current State of Mental Health - Depression, PTSD, anxiety statistics and the need for ketamine therapy
04:07 - The Need for More Treatment Options: Healthcare arsenal expansion with ketamine
04:20 - A Brief History of Ketamine: From phencyclidine to FDA approval and Vietnam War battlefield use
09:36 - Part 2: How Ketamine Works - NMDA receptor mechanisms and neuroplasticity effects
12:11 - Types of Patient Ketamine Experiences: Four levels of non-ordinary states of consciousness
14:49 - A Review of Scientific Studies: Yale study through recent research and meta-analyses
22:43 - Part 3: Ideal Patient Selection, Dosing & Scheduling: Contraindications, protocols, and safety considerations
32:33 - Episode wrap-up with YouTube resources, and more
Thanks for listening
Selected Related Links:
・For original Youtube version featuring slides during the presentation, go to https://youtu.be/u9XOQ2xnwsg
・For references and studies mentioned in this episode, go to www.ketaminestartup.com/podcast/episode-046
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