I’m Being Prescribed Ketamine Treatment For My Brain Injury – Here’s What It’s Like

Remember, brain injuries are notoriously difficult to treat because, like a mental illness, they can’t be quickly diagnosed the same way, say, a broken leg can. Scientists are still struggling to explain seemingly infinite connections and patterns of the brain. It is also not fully known exactly how ketamine works in the brain (as the science is still very new), but  the logic behind ketamine as a treatment for TBI is this: When you sustain a concussion, inflammation of the brain (known as neuroinflammation) can occur. The concussed, inflamed brain produces an excess level of glutamate, a neurotransmitter that has a role in memory, sleep, and pain. That excess glutamate, Dr. Mohammed Ahmed, a neuropsychiatrist and the founder and director of Kaizen Brain Center and my doctor, says, leads to a “tsunami” in the brain, with brain fog, pain, hypervigilance, and depression among the fallout.