Neurotherapy, much like other therapeutics, is focused on achieving an optimized state of function. While psychotherapy optimizes the cognitive processes and physical therapy optimizes muscle mass and flexibility, Neurotherapy optimizes the communication between brain cells (neurons) which can be utilized for much more than mood disorders. It is used for age-related dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, stroke recovery, cognitive loss due to prolonged inflammation like we see with Post-Acute Coronavirus Syndrome and post-sepsis. Neurotherapy treatments such as Ketamine Infusion Therapy and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation cause our brain to undergo an optimization process which enhances cognition, improves emotional and physical reactivity, and enhances emotional regulation, meaning they restore the conscious, logical areas of the brain’s control like what we feel and how much we feel. It is a purely physiological change which allows the patient to maximize gains while working with his or her psychotherapist to reach goals and optimize their mental health self-management on a daily basis.
Not at all. Ketamine is a children’s anesthetic. Psychedelic therapies refer to hallucinogenic therapies where a patient is guided through their thought processes by a “psychedelic guide” to seek answers as is typically an experiential based treatment process. Many people find psychedelic therapies helpful and they can even produce a limited amount of neuro-optimization like what we see with TMS and ketamine infusion, but the quality of hallucinogens varies depending on the dose, environment, and route of administration (oral, intranasal, sublingual, intravenous). Ketamine is an anesthetic and medication used in every operating room in the world. There are no hallucinatory effects with ketamine (at normal treatment doses). Ketamine is a non-sedating anesthetic. In fact it has a stimulating effect on several body systems which is why we use it as a catalyst for neuro-optimization. While the patients feel “weird” during the infusion such as experiencing a very present feeling like they are sinking deep into themselves, this is only the dissociative anesthetic effect and is not necessary for neuro-optimization to occur. Patients do not see things that are not there. They may perceive thoughts, feelings, think about memories, or people they love during the infusion, but it is more like a very positive dream. It can leave you feeling positive the rest of the day, but it is not an experience or realization while inebriated that is corrective. In fact, patients who receive ketamine as part of their anesthesia cocktail in surgery are fully unconscious and perceive no part of the dissociative experience, yet they still report marked improvement in cognition, motivation, and mood stability. Ketamine Infusion Therapy is grouped as a Neurotherapy along with TMS and the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB). We understand the confusion. While there is ongoing research with psychedelics, the science behind Ketamine Infusion Therapy and TMS is not subjective or experimental. These therapies have been around for more than a decade, and currently, they are able to boast the highest efficacy of any treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and OCD.
Ketamine Infusion Therapy stimulates a global (or total) optimization of neuronal communication. TMS (rTMS and iTBS) is a focused treatment that stimulates optimization specifically where depression and anxiety exist in the brain. Depending on a patient’s symptoms, we will recommend either TMS or Ketamine Infusion Therapy as a primary treatment. TMS does not address outlying neuronal communication issues, such as cognitive issues, dementia, OCD, primary anxiety without depression, and PTSD. Ketamine Infusion Therapy is required to get global optimization and address these outlying conditions. TMS is recommended for patients with treatment resistant major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety. Neuronal lesions (poorly communicating brain cells) which are responsible for symptoms of depression and anxiety reside in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. We are able to use a targeted approach known as Stim-Guide mapping to determine each patient’s ideal treatment target and ensure that we are providing perfect stimulation for the entirety of each and every treatment. We will often use two ketamine infusion sessions included in a patient’s TMS care plan so our patients receive the benefits of both targeted and global optimization.
As Ketamine Infusion Therapy becomes more available, it is important to choose a Ketamine clinic that follows best practice methods. Ideally, all medical facilities subscribe to best practice methods, including:
Private treatment rooms are the minimum standard. Ketamine Infusion Therapy is a very personal, private experience and it should be treated that way. Minimizing stimulation is important, including screen time and conversation, and your own treatment room will allow for this. Those considering Ketamine Infusion Therapy should avoid clinics that have decades-old furniture; secondhand furniture can contain unknown contaminants from previous owners. A quality clinic invests in new, clean, non-porous furniture designed for comfort and cleanliness. Scenic City Neurotherapy also provides eye coverings and headphones for each treatment session.
Steady-state administration is key to reaching and maintaining the therapeutic blood levels necessary for the highest efficacy of treatment. Therefore, beware of clinics that administer Ketamine Infusion Therapy in a bag without a pump. Administration of ketamine without a syringe pump is irregular and highly unpredictable. Therapeutic blood levels are necessary for successful remission of symptoms and comfort of treatment. At Scenic City Neurotherapy, we utilize syringe infusion pumps that allow perfect dosing and administration so that your infusion quality is up to the highest standard.
While Ketamine Infusion Therapy is very safe, it is not without potential risks. Continuous monitoring removes the risk of missing harmful events that could arise with intermittent monitoring which generally occurs every 5-10 minutes. At Scenic City Neurotherapy, we utilize CareTaker Monitoring which allows us to monitor heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation second by second. All patients are continually monitored by board certified CRNA professionals, not nurses or medical assistants. Any provider who does not monitor you continuously is likely not competent to handle a problem should it arise.
The ideal doses for Ketamine Infusion Therapy can make stimulation uncomfortable and difficult to tolerate. At Scenic City Neurotherapy, we subscribe to the best practice method of Minimally Stimulated Ketamine Infusion Therapy (MSKIT®). MSKIT® utilizes optimal dosing, producing outcomes that exceed those of other clinics in the region. Ketamine Infusion Therapy is a catalyst that stimulates neurogenesis. This means that the experience, while greatly beneficial in its own way, is not responsible for the lasting relief of depressive symptoms. Creating an environment that minimizes stimulation assists the brain in reaching a theta wave state which then facilitates an ideal stimulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) release leading to neuro-optimization. Neuro-optimization is why Ketamine Infusion Therapy works.
Patients who are under the influence of ketamine are very suggestible. Any person interested in treatment should be cautious of clinics that utilize “guided experiences” or “ketamine-assisted psychotherapy” which they claim to enhance the experience. To guide the experience, they must reduce the ketamine dose below the recommended optimized dosing, which in turn decreases positive outcomes and typically requires an unnecessary and additional charge for the “guide.”
The suggestibility of a patient undergoing Ketamine Infusion Therapy allows the guide to lead the patient to realizations, breakthroughs, or higher understandings that hold little value once the ketamine wears off. Further, a patient being led to a realization under the influence of ketamine is like a drunk person feeling incredibly wise in the moment. The fact of the matter is this treatment is a physiologic reaction to the administration of a low-dose anesthetic causing brain optimization or improvement of neuronal (brain cell) communication. Your time in the chair can be beautiful, cathartic, and therapeutic all on its own. It is never frightening, and you are always in control.
Do not accept substandard care. A provider who does not adhere to the best practice standards listed above is likely trying to save a dime at your expense.
Scenic City Neurotherapy is the premier Ketamine Infusion and TMS therapy clinic in Chattanooga, TN. Our 1st priority is to provide you the highest quality of compassionate care and help you develop a plan for lifelong success. Let us offer you a better way.
