Ketamine improves anhedonic phenotypes across species: Translational evidence from the Probabilistic Reward Task
medRxiv Preprint Server June 2, 2025 Mario Bogdanov, Jason N. Scott, Shiba M. Esfand et al. 1 citation preprint
A single, subanesthetic dose of ketamine improved reward responsiveness in both humans with treatment-resistant depression and chronically-stressed rats, measured using functionally identical tasks. The finding suggests that ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects may involve enhancing reward processing, a core feature of anhedonia. The work provides translational evidence linking preclinical and clinical observations, though the mechanisms remain unclear.