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Brain Changes Associated With Long-Term Ketamine Abuse, A Systematic Review
Jurriaan F M Strous1, Cees J Weeland2, Femke A van der Draai3
1Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
|April 4, 2022
Summary
Long-term ketamine abuse significantly impacts brain structure and function, leading to reduced gray matter and impaired connectivity. These changes may explain cognitive and psychiatric issues in chronic users.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Addiction Medicine
Background:
- The escalating abuse of ketamine necessitates understanding its neurological risks.
- Chronic ketamine use can be studied in recreational users to observe long-term brain effects.
Approach:
- A systematic review of Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO databases was conducted.
- 16 studies involving 440 chronic ketamine users were analyzed for structural and functional brain changes.
Key Points:
- Long-term ketamine use correlated with reduced gray matter volume and white matter integrity.
- Functional connectivity in thalamocortical and corticocortical networks was diminished.
- Observed neuroanatomical differences may underlie cognitive deficits and psychiatric side effects.
Conclusions:
- Repeated ketamine abuse leads to significant structural and functional brain alterations.
- These neurobiological changes are linked to memory impairment and executive dysfunction.
- Efforts to curb ketamine abuse are crucial due to its detrimental long-term effects.
