title: Absence of behavioral sensitization in healthy human subjects following repeated exposure to ketamine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sensitization to the effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonists is robust in animals. However, the applicability of this model to humans is unclear because it currently rests on highly confounded retrospective studies of individuals who experienced protracted psychoses following repeated binges with NMDA receptor antagonists.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the current study was to determine whether there was evidence of sensitization to the behavioral effects of ketamine in healthy human subjects with repeated exposure to this drug.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were studied from 295 healthy human subjects who participated in one or more of 11 separate studies that involved ketamine administration over 14 years. Positive and negative symptoms (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale: BPRS), perceptual alterations (Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale: CADSS), and "high" and "anxiety" states (Visual Analog Scale: VAS) that were measured in all studies were included as outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After including the number of previous exposures, number of previous studies, and time since first exposure as variables, repeated exposure to ketamine did not result in increased behavioral responses, suggestive of behavioral sensitization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current data do not provide evidence that repeated exposure to ketamine, albeit limited, is associated with sensitization to the behavioral effects of ketamine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Hyun-Sang
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Deepak C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.forename: Ralitza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gueorguieva
authors.forename: Edward B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madonick
authors.forename: Laurence P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Karper
authors.forename: Anissa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abi-Dargham
authors.forename: Aysenil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belger
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Abi-Saab
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lipschitz
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bennet
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Seibyl
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Krystal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D007649:Ketamine