Yahoo News 
Ketamine could be used to treat alcoholism, say scientists
Psychologists believe a one-off dose of ketamine could be used to treat alcohol addiction by “hijacking” memories of drinking.
Scientists at University College London are testing if the tranquiliser, which is a Class B drug, could help drinkers combat alcoholism.
While the radical proposal is controversial, Ravi Das, one of the lead researchers, believes there is evidence the treatment could work, according to The Guardian.
“Memories that you form can be hijacked by drugs in some people,” said Das. “If you were an alcoholic you might have a strong memory of being in a certain place and wanting to drink. Those memories get continuously triggered by things in the environment that you can’t avoid.”
By destroying those memories, hazardous drinkers may no longer association certain sights and sounds with the sensation of having a drink.
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“The main problem is the really high relapse rate after treatment,” said Das. “People can successfully quit using over the short term while they’re being monitored in the hospital … but when they return home they’re exposed to those environmental triggers again.”
More than 50 people have already taken part in the study, and scientists intend to extend that number to 90.
Participants drink harmful quantities of alcohol, but fall short of the clinical criteria for alcoholism.
They will then be given either a ketamine infusion or a placebo, and their future alcohol intake will be monitored.
Das, however, understands that some eyebrows may be raised by the experimental treatment.
“There’s just the general social attitude that everything that’s illegal is terrible. There will obviously be that kind of narrow-sighted pushback,” said Das. “But if it’s safe and effective enough it should be recommended.”
Andrew Misell, a spokesman for Alcohol Concern, said: “The researchers have quite rightly highlighted what a lot of people in recovery from alcohol problems know from experience, namely that cues or triggers like the smell of beer can cause a relapse even after long periods of abstinence. Any work looking at how people can overcome these pitfalls is going to be useful.”
He added that drug-based therapy is never risk-free “and that certainly includes ketamine”.
