Résumé
The well-known anesthetic substance ketamine recently made its way into the psychiatric field.Throughout this work, we aim to describe all the ways ketamine interacts with various receptors and intracellular systems to better understand why scientists put their interest in it. While its anesthetic properties are well-established, its use in psychiatry remains relatively new. The urgent need for a substance capable of rapidly treating depression has never been more critical, given the overwhelming prevalence of the condition. Since 2019, a novel nasal spray containing ketamine has been availableon the market, showing rapid and substantial results in alleviating depressive symptoms. This unexpected discovery must be considered alongside the fact that ketamine is also a well-known substance in the recreational world. In this work, we have reviewed recent consumption trends and the associated risks to help gauge the impact this drug could have if it were to become widely use in psychiatry and potentially subject to abuse.