Suppression of Methamphetamine Self-Administration by Ketamine Pre-treatment Is Absent in the Methylazoxymethanol (MAM) Rat Model of Schizophrenia
Neurotoxicity Research July 1, 2017 Jana Ruda-Kucerova, Zuzana Babinska, Tibor Stark et al. 26 citations
In a rat model of schizophrenia (MAM-treated rats), ketamine reduced methamphetamine self-administration in control animals but not in MAM-treated animals. MAM rats showed a lack of habituation in locomotor activity but maintained stable methamphetamine intake similar to controls. Ketamine's effect may stem from increased glutamatergic signaling in the prefrontal cortex via NMDA receptor antagonism and disinhibition of GABA interneurons, a mechanism impaired in MAM rats. This suggests ketamine's anti-craving potential in clinical settings, though it may be ineffective in schizophrenia.