Altered NMDA Glutamate Receptor Antagonist Response in Individuals With a Family Vulnerability to Alcoholism
American Journal of Psychiatry October 1, 2004 Ismene L. Petrakis, Diana Limoncelli, Ralitza Gueorguieva et al. 143 citations
A family history of alcoholism is linked to differences in how the brain responds to a drug that blocks NMDA glutamate receptors. Healthy young adults with at least two relatives who had ethanol dependence received intravenous infusions of a low or high dose of ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, or a placebo. Compared to those with no family history of alcoholism, individuals with a family history reported fewer perceptual changes and less dysphoric mood during ketamine infusion. These findings suggest that inherited alterations in NMDA receptor function may influence the subjective effects of alcohol and contribute to the risk of developing alcoholism.