With a track record of treating more than 5,000 patients in Manhattan and on Long Island, NY Ketamine Infusions offers personalized, private care to those suffering from mood disorders through the use of intravenous ketamine, a highly effective alternative treatment that can provide rapid relief in even the most complex cases of depression and PTSD. Founded in 2012 by Glen Brooks, M.D. – a board-certified anesthesiologist who trained at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and taught at Yale University School of Medicine – NYKI is one of the world’s first therapy centers dedicated exclusively to providing this breakthrough therapy.
I’m proud to be leading the expansion of NYKI into this area with our new West Harrison office and look forward to partnering with local area psychiatrists, therapists and other mental health professionals to help provide relief from those suffering from depression, PTSD and other mood disorders – especially during May, Mental Health Awareness Month.
In multiple studies performed over the past 20 years by researchers at Yale University, the Mount Sinai Health System, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) and other major institutions, IV ketamine has proven to be a highly effective treatment – helping patients who have not responded to either traditional psychiatric medications or psychotherapy, often with tremendous, life-changing results.
Indeed, IV ketamine is the gold standard for treating patients with mood disorders such as treatment resistant depression, PTSD and suicidal ideation. Delivery via other methods (intranasal and oral) is inconsistent and does not provide the 100% bioavailability of IV ketamine. By administering ketamine intravenously, we can deliver the precise dose and control the rate of infusion – important factors in ensuring an optimal outcome and patient experience.
At NY Ketamine, we are focused on outcomes and are proud to report that based on more than 2,200 patients seen since January 2022, 84% of those with treatment-resistant depression experienced noteworthy or significant improvement in their symptoms after undergoing ketamine therapy. So let me tell you how it works. Although early research into depression and antidepressant medication focused on the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, scientists have in the last two decades investigated the function of another neurotransmitter that is vital for memory and learning – glutamate. This is an excitatory neurotransmitter that is also important for mood regulation.
As an NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) antagonist, ketamine prevents the NMDA receptor from reabsorbing glutamate while stimulating the release of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). BDNF is a crucial brain protein that helps mature and maintain the neuronal dendrites and synapses necessary for regular mood center connectivity.
The prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus are the primary mood centers in the brain, containing billions of neurons. It’s crucial for these neurons to have connections via dendrites and synapses in order to maintain healthy moods. However, childhood events that cause stress and anxiety can reduce BDNF production, leading to changes in neuroanatomy and severe mood disorders.
Through dozens of clinical trials and thousands of actual treatments with patients, we’ve discovered that sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine can enhance mood center connectivity in the brain by promoting the growth of new dendrites and synapses but also via maintenance and repair of damaged synapses.
As we continue to expand our reach, we know our patients need outside support systems in place, including psychiatrists, therapists or other mental health providers. We want to work with them to provide our mutual patients with an additional mode of therapy when others have fallen short of patient needs. We rely on trusted partners in the community to help us provide the integrative approach that some patients seek.
NY Ketamine Infusions is at 222 Westchester Ave., Suite 306 in West Harrison. For more, call 914-369-1569 for a free consultation.
