Psychedelics and reconsolidation of traumatic and appetitive maladaptive memories: focus on cannabinoids and ketamine.
Liana Fattore, Alessandro Piva, Mary Tresa Zanda, Guido Fumagalli, Cristiano Chiamulera
Psychopharmacology February 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4793-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Cannabinoids Maladaptive memories Post-traumatic stress disorders Reconsolidation Substance use disorders |
| Key findings | Cannabinoids and ketamine may modulate the reconsolidation of maladaptive memories, with metaplasticity as a potential common mechanism. |
Abstract
Clinical data with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients recently stimulated interest on the potential therapeutic use of psychedelics in disorders characterized by maladaptive memories, including substance use disorders (SUD). The rationale for the use of MDMA in PTSD and SUD is being extended to a broader beneficial "psychedelic effect," which is supporting further clinical investigations, in spite of the lack of mechanistic hypothesis. Considering that the retrieval of emotional memories reactivates specific brain mechanisms vulnerable to inhibition, interference, or strengthening (i.e., the reconsolidation process), it was proposed that the ability to retrieve and change these maladaptive memories might be a novel intervention for PTSD and SUD. The mechanisms underlying MDMA effects indicate memory reconsolidation modulation as a hypothetical process underlying its efficacy. Mechanistic and clinical studies with other two classes of psychedelic substances, namely cannabinoids and ketamine, are providing data in support of a potential use in PTSD and SUD based on the modulation of traumatic and appetitive memory reconsolidation, respectively. Here, we review preclinical and clinical data on cannabinoids and ketamine effects on biobehavioral processes related to the reconsolidation of maladaptive memories. We report the findings supporting (or not) the working hypothesis linking the potential therapeutic effect of these substances to the underlying reconsolidation process. We also proposed possible approaches for testing the use of these two classes of drugs within the current paradigm of reconsolidation memory inhibition. Metaplasticity may be the process in common between cannabinoids and ketamine/ketamine-like substance effects on the mediation and potential manipulation of maladaptive memories.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on ketamine, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ketamine and Ketamine Metabolite Pharmacology: Insights into Therapeutic Mechanisms | 2018 | Review | |
| Mechanisms of Ketamine Action as an Antidepressant | 2018 | Review | |
| Synthesizing the Evidence for Ketamine and Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: An International Expert Opinion on the Available Evidence and Implementation Adults with treatment-resistant depression | 2021 | Review | |
| Ketamine Pharmacology: An Update (Pharmacodynamics and Molecular Aspects, Recent Findings) | 2013 | Review | |
| A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders | 2017 | Review and consensus statement |
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
- Canalization and plasticity in psychopathology Neuropharmacology December 27, 2022
- Toward specific ways to combine ketamine and psychotherapy in treating depression CNS Spectrums June 19, 2019
- Psychedelic Cognition—The Unreached Frontier of Psychedelic Science Frontiers in Neuroscience March 15, 2022
- MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for people diagnosed with treatment-resistant PTSD: what it is and what it isn’t Annals of General Psychiatry May 17, 2020
- MDMA treatment paired with a trauma-cue promotes adaptive stress responses in a translational model of PTSD in rats Translational Psychiatry May 3, 2022
and 10 more in the library
Cites 24
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- NMDAR inhibition-independent antidepressant actions of ketamine metabolites Nature April 24, 2016
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- The safety and efficacy of {+/-}3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 19, 2010
- Efficacy of Intravenous Ketamine for Treatment of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder JAMA Psychiatry April 16, 2014
and 19 more in the library