Name: Could a drug prevent depression and PTSD?
Uploaded: 2016-12-14T15:51:48Z
Duration: 18 min 14 s
Description: The path to better medicine is paved with accidental yet revolutionary discoveries. In this well-told tale of how science happens, neuroscientist Beck Brachman shares news of a serendipitous breakthrough treatment that may prevent mental disorders like depression and PTSD from ever developing. And listen for an unexpected -- and controversial -- twist.

The path to better medicine is paved with accidental yet revolutionary discoveries. In this well-told tale of how science happens, neuroscientist Beck Brachman shares news of a serendipitous breakthrough treatment that may prevent mental disorders like depression and PTSD from ever developing. And listen for an unexpected -- and controversial -- twist. 

Could a drug prevent depression and PTSD?

Breakthroughs in medicine often start with accidental discoveries—like when tuberculosis patients given a new drug began 'dancing in the halls' and inadvertently revealed the first antidepressant. Today, more people are disabled by depression than by HIV/AIDS, malaria, diabetes, or war, yet treatments only suppress symptoms, never curing the illness. A surprising new finding shows that a single dose of a repurposed anesthetic, ketamine, can make mice resilient to stress for weeks, hinting at a future where mental illness could be prevented, not just treated. This 'paravaccine' effect could change how society thinks about protecting mental health, but cultural and economic biases stand in the way of progress.