Ketamine Alters Tuning of Neural and Behavioral Spatial Working Memory Precision
bioRxiv Preprint Server February 10, 2025 Masih Rahmati, Flora Moujaes, Nina Purg Suljič et al. 1 citation preprint
Working memory deficits in disorders like schizophrenia may stem from disrupted brain cell tuning. Using fMRI, researchers found that ketamine, which blocks NMDA receptors, broadens neural spatial tuning in healthy people, reducing the precision of brain responses across visual, parietal, and frontal areas and worsening spatial working memory accuracy. These tuning changes were more consistent across individuals and brain regions than overall activation changes and correlated with memory performance. The results link NMDA receptor disruption to altered brain circuit dynamics and memory impairment, offering a target for developing treatments.