mTOR-dependent synapse formation underlies the rapid antidepressant effects of NMDA antagonists.

Summary: For years, patients with severe depression have had to wait weeks or even months for standard medications to kick in. Ketamine, however, has shown it can lift depression in just hours, though scientists weren't sure exactly how. New research reveals that ketamine acts like a rapid response construction crew in the brain. It triggers a specific chemical pathway called "mTOR" in the prefrontal cortex. This pathway quickly rebuilds the synaptic bridges between brain cells that stress destroys. By restoring these connections, ketamine reverses depressive behaviors almost immediately, offering a blueprint for faster, more effective future treatments.