Unknown

Dataset Information

0

Ketamine can reduce harmful drinking by pharmacologically rewriting drinking memories.


ABSTRACT: Maladaptive reward memories (MRMs) are involved in the development and maintenance of acquired overconsumption disorders, such as harmful alcohol and drug use. The process of memory reconsolidation - where stored memories become briefly labile upon retrieval - may offer a means to disrupt MRMs and prevent relapse. However, reliable means for pharmacologically weakening MRMs in humans remain elusive. Here we demonstrate that the N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist ketamine is able to disrupt MRMs in hazardous drinkers when administered immediately after their retrieval. MRM retrieval?+?ketamine (RET?+?KET) effectively reduced the reinforcing effects of alcohol and long-term drinking levels, compared to ketamine or retrieval alone. Blood concentrations of ketamine and its metabolites during the critical 'reconsolidation window' predicted beneficial changes only following MRM reactivation. Pharmacological reconsolidation interference may provide a means to rapidly rewrite maladaptive memory and should be further pursued in alcohol and drug use disorders.

SUBMITTER: Das RK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6879579 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

altmetric image

Publications

Ketamine can reduce harmful drinking by pharmacologically rewriting drinking memories.

Das Ravi K RK   Gale Grace G   Walsh Katie K   Hennessy Vanessa E VE   Iskandar Georges G   Mordecai Luke A LA   Brandner Brigitta B   Kindt Merel M   Curran H Valerie HV   Kamboj Sunjeev K SK  

Nature communications 20191126 1


Maladaptive reward memories (MRMs) are involved in the development and maintenance of acquired overconsumption disorders, such as harmful alcohol and drug use. The process of memory reconsolidation - where stored memories become briefly labile upon retrieval - may offer a means to disrupt MRMs and prevent relapse. However, reliable means for pharmacologically weakening MRMs in humans remain elusive. Here we demonstrate that the N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist ketamine is able to disrupt M  ...[more]

Similar Datasets

| S-EPMC5566629 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC7718095 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC3884009 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC4106279 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC5381820 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6224758 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC5839915 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC3811141 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6051456 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC5772603 | biostudies-literature