Chronic corticosterone biases conflict-related behavior and abolishes ketamine's anticonflict effect in mice.
Natsuko Hitora-Imamura, Yuki Nishida, Koki Kawazoe, Kota Ono, Haruto Kumamoto, Yuki Kurauchi, Hiroshi Katsuki
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences August 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2026.05.004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mice |
| Interventions | corticosterone ketamine |
| Duration | Three weeks of corticosterone exposure |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Conflict behavior Corticosterone |
| Key findings | Chronic corticosterone exposure increased conflict behavior in mice and abolished the anticonflict effect of ketamine. |
Abstract
Animals must balance reward seeking against potential danger, and impairments in such conflict decision-making are common in psychiatric disorders. Here, we examined how chronic corticosterone exposure and ketamine affect conflict behavior in mice by presenting them with a three-compartment conflict task. Three weeks of corticosterone increased conflict levels without inducing anhedonia, selectively prolonging action initiation. Ketamine reduced conflict in control mice but not in corticosterone-treated mice, indicating that stress abolishes its anticonflict effect. These findings suggest that chronic stress biases conflict-related behavior and disrupts ketamine-responsive mechanisms.