Abuse of ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, is on the rise in many countries and now new research shows that repeated use of the club drug impairs memory, concentration, and psychological well-being.
A one-time dose of ketamine can cause psychosis-like effects and impaired thinking, Dr. Celia J. A. Morgan and colleagues, from University College London, note in the journal Addiction. The impact of long-term, repeated use of the drug, however, was unclear.
In the first ever large-scale, forward-looking study of ketamine abuse, Morgan's team followed 150 people for over 1 year to assess how use of the drug affects memory, concentration, and psychological well-being.
The subjects were evenly divided into five groups based on their usage of ketamine: nearly daily use in large quantities (frequent use), use once or twice a month (recreational use), former use, use of illicit drugs other than ketamine, and no use of any illicit drugs. A variety of standard tests were used to assess their thinking ability and psychological well being.
Source: Rueters
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