title: Impaired facial emotion recognition in a ketamine model of psychosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Social cognitive disabilities are a common feature in schizophrenia. Given the role of glutamatergic neurotransmission in schizophrenia-related cognitive impairments, we investigated the effects of the glutamatergic NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine on facial emotion recognition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen healthy male subjects were tested on two occasions, one without medication and one after administration with subanesthetic doses of intravenous ketamine. Emotion recognition was examined using the Ekman 60 Faces Test. In addition, attention was measured by the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), and psychopathology was rated using the Psychotomimetic States Inventory (PSI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ketamine produced a non-significant deterioration of global emotion recognition abilities. Specifically, the ability to correctly identify the facial expression of sadness was significantly reduced in the ketamine condition. These results were independent of psychotic symptoms and selective attention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results point to the involvement of the glutamatergic system in the ability to recognize facial emotions.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Ebert
authors: Ida Sibylle
authors: IS
authors: Haussleiter
authors: Georg
authors: G
authors: Juckel
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Brüne
authors: Patrik
authors: P
authors: Roser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D004644:Emotions; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000523:psychology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D007649:Ketamine