Combined Low Dose of Ketamine and Social Isolation: A Possible Model of Induced Chronic Schizophrenia-Like Symptoms
European psychiatry June 1, 2022 D. Khalifa, L. Rashed, A. Shamseldeen et al.
Combining ketamine with social isolation in male albino rats produces long-lasting behavioral and neurochemical deficits that resemble schizophrenia, offering a potential model for studying the disorder's multifactorial origins. Rats given ketamine and isolated showed fewer line crossings in an open field test, fewer open arm entries in an elevated plus maze, and lower spontaneous alternation in a Y-maze compared to controls and ketamine-treated rats housed socially. The combined intervention also increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels in the hippocampus and cortex, indicating oxidative stress. Adding aripiprazole helped model both positive and negative symptoms.