Reduction of dopamine D2/3 receptor binding in the striatum after a single administration of esketamine, but not R-ketamine: a PET study in conscious monkeys
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience April 18, 2016 Kenji Hashimoto, Takeharu Kakiuchi, Hiroyuki Ohba et al. 125 citations
Esketamine, but not R-ketamine, reduces dopamine D2/3 receptor binding availability in the monkey striatum, indicating that esketamine triggers dopamine release in this brain region. This dopamine release may underlie the psychotomimetic side effects of esketamine. R-ketamine, in contrast, does not affect striatal dopamine D2/3 binding, consistent with its proposed safer profile as a rapid antidepressant. The findings suggest a neurochemical difference between the two ketamine enantiomers that could explain their distinct side-effect profiles.