Ketamine induces a robust whole-brain connectivity pattern that can be differentially modulated by drugs of different mechanism and clinical profile
Psychopharmacology May 19, 2015 R. Joules, O. Doyle, A. J. Schwarz et al. 77 citations
Ketamine, which blocks N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), robustly alters functional connectivity in the human brain, shifting patterns from cortex-centered to subcortex-centered connections. This effect was detected with 87.5% accuracy compared to saline. Pre-treatment with risperidone strongly modulated the connectivity changes (81.25% accuracy), whereas lamotrigine did not (43.75% accuracy). The differential modulation suggests the connectivity effects stem primarily from NMDAR blockade rather than downstream glutamate release. No such differential effect was seen in measures of brain response amplitude, underscoring the value of connectivity analysis for understanding how drugs affect the brain.