Brain damages in ketamine addicts as revealed by magnetic resonance imaging
Chunmei Ewang, Dong Ezheng, Jie Exu, Waiping Elam, D.t. Eyew
Frontiers in Neuroanatomy May 22, 2014 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2013.00023 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 21 |
| Population | Ketamine addicts |
| Duration | 0.5 to 12 years of ketamine abuse |
| Topics | Addiction Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Atrophy Brain Lesion |
| Citations | 123 |
| Key findings | Chronic ketamine abuse leads to cortical atrophy and lesions in the frontal, parietal, and occipital cortices, detectable by MRI after 2–4 years of addiction. |
Abstract
Ketamine, a known antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartic (NMDA) glutamate receptors, had been used as an anesthetic particularly for pediatric or for cardiac patients. Unfortunately, ketamine has become an abusive drug in many parts of the world while chronic and prolonged usage led to damages of many organs including the brain. However, no studies on possible damages in the brains induced by chronic ketamine abuse have been documented in the human via neuroimaging. This paper described for the first time via employing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the changes in ketamine addicts of 0.5 to 12 years and illustrated the possible brain regions susceptible to ketamine abuse. Twenty-one ketamine addicts were recruited and the results showed that the lesions in the brains of ketamine addicts were located in many regions which appeared 2-4 years after ketamine addiction. Cortical atrophy was usually evident in the frontal, parietal or occipital cortices of addicts. Such study confirmed that many brain regions in the human were susceptible to chronic ketamine injury and presented a diffuse effect of ketamine on the brain which might differ from other central nervous system (CNS) drugs, such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Chronic ketamine abuse was associated with cortical atrophy and lesions in frontal, parietal, and occipital cortices appearing 2-4 years after addiction.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on ketamine for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Characterization of Oral Ketamine Use: A Retrospective Review. Hospitalized patients aged 18 years or older receiving oral ketamine | 2025 | Retrospective cohort study | |
| Maintenance Intramuscular Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, a Retrospective Chart Review of Efficacy, Adverse Events, and Dropouts from a Community Practice. Patients receiving intramuscular ketamine with contemporaneous psychotherapy for... | 2024 | Observational study | n = 70 |
| Prescribing bias and adverse outcomes of esketamine in major depression comorbid substance. Adults aged 18 years or older with major depressive disorder in the TriNetX US... | 2026 | Retrospective cohort study | n = 30,670 |
| Ketamine Therapy for Chronic Pain Provides Added Benefits for Substance Misuse Therapy Adult chronic pain patients with comorbid substance misuse | 2026 | Observational study | n = 20 |
| Associations between psychedelic use and adverse outcomes in substance use disorders: a real-world EHR-based cohort study. U.S. patients aged 12 years and older with a documented substance use disorder... | 2025 | Retrospective cohort study | n = 3,209,798 |