Lack of effect of ketamine on cortical glutamate and glutamine in healthy volunteers: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.
Matthew J Taylor, Eleanor R Tiangga, Roísín Ní Mhuircheartaigh, Philip J. Cowen
Journal of Psychopharmacology May 2012 DOI: 10.1177/0269881111405359 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 17 |
| Population | Healthy volunteers |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Dose | 0.5 mg/kg |
| Duration | 40-minute infusion |
| Measures | Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) measurements of Glx and glutamate |
| Topics | Esketamine Ketamine |
| Key findings | Ketamine infusion produced significant mental state effects but did not significantly change cortical Glx or glutamate levels in healthy volunteers, as measured by MRS. |
Abstract
Ketamine is a N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) antagonist that has been associated with temporary clinical improvement in patients with depression. Studies using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) have shown that major depression is associated with decreased levels of glutamate and glutamine (Glx) in the anterior cingulate cortex, which normalize with clinical recovery. The present study aimed to test whether a ketamine infusion would increase cortical Glx levels in healthy volunteers. Healthy volunteers received an intravenous infusion of ketamine (0.5 mg kg⁻¹, n = 8) or saline (n = 9) over 40 minutes. MRS measurements were obtained at baseline, during, and at the end of the infusion. The infusion of ketamine had significant effects on mental state but there was no effect of ketamine on the levels of Glx (F (3,39) = 1.70, p = 0.18) or glutamate (F (3,39) = 48, p = 0.70). This study suggests that the gradual infusion of low-dose ketamine in antidepressant doses not cause changes in cortical glutamate or glutamine in healthy volunteers that are visible by proton MRS.
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
Cited by 20
- Ketamine and Rapid-Acting Antidepressants: A Window into a New Neurobiology for Mood Disorder Therapeutics Annual Review of Medicine October 23, 2014
- Ketamine Has Distinct Electrophysiological and Behavioral Effects in Depressed and Healthy Subjects Molecular Psychiatry February 27, 2018
- Glutamate Receptor Antagonists as Fast-Acting Therapeutic Alternatives for the Treatment of Depression: Ketamine and Other Compounds The Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology January 6, 2014
- Ketamine-Induced Modulation of the Thalamo-Cortical Network in Healthy Volunteers As a Model for Schizophrenia The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology April 19, 2015
- An investigation of amino-acid neurotransmitters as potential predictors of clinical improvement to ketamine in depression The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology November 1, 2011
and 15 more in the library
Cites 4
- 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
- Activation of Glutamatergic Neurotransmission by Ketamine: A Novel Step in the Pathway from NMDA Receptor Blockade to Dopaminergic and Cognitive Disruptions Associated with the Prefrontal Cortex Journal of Neuroscience April 15, 1997
- A Randomized Add-on Trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate Antagonist in Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression Archives of General Psychiatry August 1, 2010