Sex-Dependent Ketamine Addiction-Like Behavior Profile Following Exposure to Chronic Mild Stress
Chronic Stress January 1, 2019 Katherine N. Wright, D. Hagarty, C. Strong et al.
Repeated low-dose ketamine does not increase the abuse potential of subsequent ketamine. In rats, ketamine infusions reduced anxiety-induced neophagia in both sexes but had no effect on anhedonia. Female rats with prior chronic mild stress showed greater motivation to obtain ketamine compared to nonstressed females, an effect not seen in males. Female rats receiving antidepressant ketamine also had a higher threshold for displaying addiction-like behavior and increased thin spine density in the nucleus accumbens core, while males showed no such effects. The findings highlight a female-specific effect of stress on increasing ketamine addiction-like behavior, warranting further investigation in clinical populations.