Repeated high-dose esketamine in early postnatal rats leads to behavioural deficits with long-term modifications in white matter microstructural integrity.
Brain research January 15, 2025 Lijie Zhou, Xianlei Wang, Tianyu Cao et al. 4 citations
Repeated high-dose esketamine exposure in infant male rats leads to long-term behavioral deficits and changes in white matter microstructure. Seven-day-old rats given high doses showed reduced activity, impaired short-term memory, longer immobility in forced swimming, and motor coordination problems compared to controls. Diffusion tensor imaging revealed decreased water diffusion in the corpus callosum, and tissue staining showed microstructural white matter changes. These findings suggest that behavioral impairments from high-dose esketamine are at least partially due to alterations in white matter.