A scientific team from Austria has identified two methods using ketamine and light to rejuvenate nerve cells in the brain. The organ normally does this at certain stages of development as a reorganization of the connections between its neurons. However, it happens more freely than in its adult form. Now researchers have managed to reopen this plasticity using repeated ketamine anesthesia and non-invasive 60 Hertz light flickering. The results could have the potential to be applicable to humanstherapeutic tool for neurological diseasesto become.
Cell activation through the effects of ketamine and light
Some memories seem to be deeply anchored in the brain. In fact, there are critical periods during which the brain learns and stores deep cognitive routines and memories. The structure responsible for their storage is called perineuronal networks. This extracellular structure surrounds certain neurons, thereby stabilizing existing connections - the synapses - between them and preventing others from forming. But what if we could remove the perineuronal network and restore the adaptability of a young brain? The neuroscientist Sandra Siegert and her research group at IST Austria have now published two promising techniques. The team found that microglial cells in mice become very reactive after anesthetizing animals with the drug ketamine. The reactive microglia have the ability to eat synapses and even entire neurons, which is often seen in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease. It turned out that it is the perineuronal network that protects and stabilizes the connections between neurons.
It had previously been shown that light flickering 40 times per second - at 40 hertz - can cause microglia to clear plaque in Alzheimer's disease. However, it did not remove perineuronal networks, according to the study authors. When the scientists then put mice in boxes with light flickering 60 times per second, it had an effect similar to the effect of ketamine as a treatment. This fine-tuning between different brain waves and microglial action is most fascinating and could be a new way of thinking about brain waves. By restoring plasticity, one could potentially overwrite traumatic experiences and treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Another topic that the authorsthis studyWhat we want to investigate are the molecular mechanisms behind their discovery, which are not yet fully understood.
