The psychoactive effects of repeated ketamine infusions and their mechanistic role in the treatment of alcohol use disorder: Secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial
Cassie Bloy, Ananya Sarma, Bethan Marsh, Lorna Hardy, Meryem Grabski, Merve Mollaahmetoglu, Joshua Shotton, Shamhethan Bhaskaran, Anne Lingford‐hughes, H. Val Curran, Celia Janet Ann Morgan, Will Lawn
Addiction February 16, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/add.70320 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | People with alcohol use disorder |
| Intervention | Intravenous ketamine |
| Dose | 0.8 mg/kg |
| Topics | Addiction Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Randomized controlled trial Anesthesia Alcohol consumption Clinical trial Poison control Meta-analysis Alcohol dependence |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Ketamine-related reductions in alcohol consumption do not appear to be mediated by the acute psychoactive effects of ketamine. |
Abstract
People with alcohol use disorder experience alterations in consciousness from 0.8 mg/kg intravenous ketamine administration. Ketamine's effects appear to be broadly consistent across three repeated infusions. Ketamine-related reductions in alcohol consumption do not appear to be mediated by the acute psychoactive effects of ketamine.