Ketamine has moved from the periphery of psychiatric research into mainstream clinical conversation faster than most providers have had time to process the underlying science. Ketamine neuroinflammation, microglial activation, sub-anesthetic dosing, and neuroplasticity are now terms appearing in journals across neurology, psychiatry, and rehabilitation medicine. For clinicians working within functional neurology, understanding the biological mechanisms behind this shift is not optional. It is the difference between observing a trend and being equipped to guide patients through it intelligently.

This course builds that capability from the ground up. Dr. Spencer Zimmerman begins with the foundational biology of microglial cells, detailing the M0, M1, and M2 polarization states and the cytokine signals that drive each. From there, the course maps how chronic stress, adverse childhood experiences, and persistent neuroinflammation alter hippocampal structure, amygdala reactivity, prefrontal function, and synaptogenesis. Clinicians gain a precise mechanistic understanding of how ketamine modulates pro-inflammatory markers including interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, and how that modulation translates to antidepressant, anxiolytic, and neuroprotective outcomes. The course extends these principles into applications beyond depression, covering post-stroke recovery, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and the brain-gut-microbiome axis. Clinical case examples and practical precaution frameworks make the content immediately applicable.

This course is designed for licensed chiropractors, chiropractic neurologists, functional neurology practitioners, and allied healthcare providers who regularly manage patients with complex neurological, mood, or stress-related presentations. It is equally valuable for clinicians whose patients are already seeking ketamine therapy and who want to serve as informed guides within that process, even without prescriptive authority.