Subanesthetic Ketamine Suppresses Locus Coeruleus-Mediated Alertness Effects: A 7T fMRI Study.
Thomas Liebe, Lena Vera Danyeli, Zümrüt Duygu Sen, Meng Li, Jörn Kaufmann, Martin Walter
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology June 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyae022 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Placebo-controlled cross-over pharmacological MRI study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 35 |
| Population | Healthy male participants aged 25.1 ± 4.2 years |
| Intervention | S-ketamine |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Lc functional connectivity Locus coeruleus Ultra-High Field MRI Ketamine therapy Brain imaging Neuroscience research Mental health treatment Alertness regulation |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key points | Acute disruption of the locus coeruleus alertness network to the thalamus by ketamine is related to a behavioral alertness reduction. |
Abstract
The NMDA antagonist S-ketamine is gaining increasing use as a rapid-acting antidepressant, although its exact mechanisms of action are still unknown. In this study, we investigated ketamine in respect to its properties toward central noradrenergic mechanisms and how they influence alertness behavior. We investigated the influence of S-ketamine on the locus coeruleus (LC) brain network in a placebo-controlled, cross-over, 7T functional, pharmacological MRI study in 35 healthy male participants (25.1 ± 4.2 years) in conjunction with the attention network task to measure LC-related alertness behavioral changes. We could show that acute disruption of the LC alertness network to the thalamus by ketamine is related to a behavioral alertness reduction. The results shed new light on the neural correlates of ketamine beyond the glutamatergic system and underpin a new concept of how it may unfold its antidepressant effects.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on ketamine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subanesthetic Effects of the Noncompetitive NMDA Antagonist, Ketamine, in Humans Healthy human subjects recruited from the community | 1994 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 19 |
| Antidepressant Efficacy of Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression: A Two-Site Randomized Controlled Trial Patients with treatment-resistant major depression experiencing a major depressive episode | 2013 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
| Remifentanil-induced Postoperative Hyperalgesia and Its Prevention with Small-dose Ketamine Patients undergoing major abdominal surgery | 2005 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 75 |
| Efficacy of Intravenous Ketamine for Treatment of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Patients with chronic PTSD related to a range of trauma exposures | 2014 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Ketamine-Induced Deficits in Auditory and Visual Context-Dependent Processing in Healthy Volunteers Healthy volunteers | 2000 | Single-blind placebo-controlled study | n = 20 |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- A Randomized Trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate Antagonist in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression Archives of General Psychiatry August 1, 2006
- Subanesthetic Effects of the Noncompetitive NMDA Antagonist, Ketamine, in Humans Archives of General Psychiatry March 1, 1994
- NMDAR inhibition-independent antidepressant actions of ketamine metabolites Nature April 24, 2016
- Better Biomarkers, Faster Drugs, Stronger Models: Progress Towards Precision Psychiatry. Missouri medicine 2023
- Ketamine-Induced Deficits in Auditory and Visual Context-Dependent Processing in Healthy Volunteers Archives of General Psychiatry December 1, 2000
and 10 more in the library