Ketamine-induced NMDA receptor hypofunction alters social and locomotor behavior in adult zebrafish
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) September 17, 2025 Matheus Gallas‐lopes, Dagobert Müller, Thailana Stahlhofer-Buss et al. preprint
Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, produced concentration-dependent behavioral changes in adult zebrafish. Acute exposure reduced social interaction and increased swimming activity and rotational behavior. These effects did not intensify with repeated daily dosing over five days and were not present 48 hours after the final treatment, indicating no behavioral sensitization or lasting disruption. The findings support zebrafish as a model for acute schizophrenia-like behavioral phenotypes induced by NMDA receptor blockade, but the lack of sustained effects differs from rodent studies.