Effects of ketamine on brain function during response inhibition.
M Steffens, Claudia Neumann, A-M Kasparbauer, Benjamin Becker, B Weber, M A Mehta, René Hurlemann, Ulrich Ettinger
Psychopharmacology December 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5081-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Healthy males |
| Intervention | Ketamine |
| Dose | target plasma level 100 ng/ml |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Antisaccades Experimental model system Eye movements Inhibitory control Psychosis Schizophrenia |
| Key points | Ketamine significantly increased self-ratings of psychosis-like experiences but did not induce antisaccade or prosaccade performance deficits. A treatment-by-task interaction in somatosensory cortex suggested recruitment of additional neural resources in the antisaccade condition under NMDA receptor blockade. The authors suggest that ketamine may not mimic all features of psychosis at the dose used. |
Abstract
The uncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NMDAR) antagonist ketamine has been proposed to model symptoms of psychosis. Inhibitory deficits in the schizophrenia spectrum have been reliably reported using the antisaccade task. Interestingly, although similar antisaccade deficits have been reported following ketamine in non-human primates, ketamine-induced deficits have not been observed in healthy human volunteers. To investigate the effects of ketamine on brain function during an antisaccade task, we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects study on n = 15 healthy males. We measured the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response and eye movements during a mixed antisaccade/prosaccade task while participants received a subanesthetic dose of intravenous ketamine (target plasma level 100 ng/ml) on one occasion and placebo on the other occasion. While ketamine significantly increased self-ratings of psychosis-like experiences, it did not induce antisaccade or prosaccade performance deficits. At the level of BOLD, we observed an interaction between treatment and task condition in somatosensory cortex, suggesting recruitment of additional neural resources in the antisaccade condition under NMDAR blockage. Given the robust evidence of antisaccade deficits in schizophrenia spectrum populations, the current findings suggest that ketamine may not mimic all features of psychosis at the dose used in this study. Our findings underline the importance of a more detailed research to further understand and define effects of NMDAR hypofunction on human brain function and behavior, with a view to applying ketamine administration as a model system of psychosis. Future studies with varying doses will be of importance in this context.
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 5
- Effects of NMDA-receptor blockade by ketamine on mentalizing and its neural correlates in humans: a randomized control trial Scientific Reports October 11, 2023
- Eye movements in patients in early psychosis with and without a history of cannabis use Schizophrenia May 12, 2021
- A Meta-Analysis of Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Ketamine Administration in Healthy Volunteers. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2024
- Behavioral effects of sub-anesthetic ketamine in a go/no-go task Journal of Psychedelic Studies January 15, 2021
- Effects of ketamine on brain function during metacognition of episodic memory. Neuroscience of Consciousness 2021
Cites 18
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and 13 more in the library