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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2018 Nov-Dec;26(6):320–339. doi: 10.1097/HRP.0000000000000179

Table 4.

Studies with Both Resting State Scans and Task Scans (Non-Depressed Populations)

Author(s) Scanning Details and Study Design Subjects and Ketamine Details Significant Findings*
(all p<0.05 unless otherwise noted)
Lehmann 201642 3T fMRI – 1 scan with IAPS task, and rsfMRI

DB, PBO-controlled, two-arm study. Arm 1: Baseline scan and 24-hour follow-up scan post-PBO. Arm 2: Baseline scan and 24-hour follow-up scan post-ketamine. Baseline scans were at least 10 days prior to the follow-up scan.
Healthy volunteers (n=17)

S-ketamine; 0.25mg/kg
Resting State: Ketamine reduced functional connectivity between the pACC and the dPCC; this reduction in connectivity correlated significantly with increased psychotomimetic effects during the infusion.

IAPS task: Increased BOLD reactivity in the pgACC (but not the posterior control regions) were observed during the negative pictures in the ketamine group. The increase in BOLD reactivity was more pronounced for subjects with a low ability to apply distraction during negative experiences.
Scheidegger 201650 3T fMRI during task and rsfMRI

One baseline scan and one scan during an OL ketamine infusion. Ketamine was started 15 minutes before the scan start and during the 25-minute MRI scan. Patients completed both resting state and an emotional IAPS task.
Healthy volunteers (n=23)

S-ketamine; 0.12mg/kg bolus followed by continuous 0.25mg/kg/hr infusion
Ketamine attenuated task-induced activation in the amygdalo-hippocampal complex during the emotional task; specifically, reductions in BOLD reactivity was more marked in response to negative pictures compared to neutral or positive pictures, suggesting that the processing of negative information is specifically altered in response to ketamine7

Also, reduced amygdala activity to negative pictures was correlated with resting state connectivity to the pregenual ACC

Increased intensity of psychedelic side effects of consciousness during ketamine predicted the reduction in neuronal responsiveness to negative (but not neutral or positive) pictures.
Abel 200352 and Abel 200353 1.5T fMRI during task and rsfMRI

Randomized, DB, PBO controlled; 2 scans separated by at least 1 week during resting state and cognitive/emotional facial recognition task
Male healthy volunteers (n=8)

Racemic ketamine; 0.23mg/kg bolus over 5 minutes, then 0.5mg/kg for 40 more minutes
Ketamine significantly decreased activation in the middle occipital gyrus and precentral gyrus compared to PBO.

In the PBO group, several brain areas (amygdala, visual processing areas and cerebellum) were significantly activated during fearful faces; ketamine only significantly activated the left superior occipital gyrus during fearful faces.