Widespread Cortical Thickness Reductions Following Non-medical Use of Ketamine: a Structural MRI Study of Individuals with Ketamine Dependence
Jinsong Tang, Qiuxia Wu, Chang Qi, An Xie, Jianbin Liu, Yunkai Sun, Tifei Yuan, Wei Chen, Tieqiao Liu, Wei Hao, Yanhui Liao
medRxiv Preprint Server February 21, 2021 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.21.21252178 via medRxiv
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractLong-term, non-medical use of ketamine is associated with reduced gray matter in the dorsal prefrontal cortex, and this study investigated whether similar cortical thinning occurs. Chronic ketamine users showed cortical thickness abnormalities compared to non-users, suggesting that recreational ketamine use may lead to structural brain changes beyond gray matter volume loss. The findings indicate potential neurotoxic effects of sustained illicit ketamine use on brain health, as observed through MRI scans.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Population | Chronic ketamine users |
| Intervention | ketamine |
| Keywords | Ketamine abuse Recreational ketamine use Illicit ketamine Ketamine dependence Drug abuse |
| Key finding | Chronic, non-medical ketamine use is associated with cortical thickness abnormalities in the brain. |
Abstract
Background A version of ketamine, called Esketamine has been approved for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Ketamine (“K powder”), a “dissociative” anesthetic agent, however, has been used non-medically alone or with other illicit substances. Our previous studies showed a link between non-medical ketamine use and brain structural and functional alterations. We found dorsal prefrontal gray matter reduction in chronic ketamine users. It is unknown, however, whether these observations might parallel findings of cortical thickness alterations. This study aimed at exploring cortical thickness abnormalities following non-medical, long-term use of ketamine.