Publication Date
Spring 4-2025
Presentation Length
Poster/Gallery presentation
College
Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine
Department
Biology, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
SPARK Category
Research
Faculty Advisor
Ashley Horner, PhD
SPARK Session
2:00-3:00
Presentation Type
Poster
Summary
Numerous studies have indicated a commonality in symptoms between patients with depression and those with psychostimulant withdrawal. In addition, both conditions appear to act on similar neurobiological limbic structures such as the nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, all of which are components of emotional processing and function. More studies have suggested a relationship between depression and decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in these structures. The administration of ketamine (an NMDA receptor antagonist) has recently been found to restore healthy BDNF levels and mitigate depressive symptoms in animal models. However, whether ketamine is an effective treatment for depressive symptoms stemming from psychostimulant withdrawal remains to be determined. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy of ketamine treatment in alleviating depression-like symptoms during d-amphetamine withdrawal via alterations in BDNF levels in the limbic structures. This was achieved by administering scheduled escalating doses of amphetamines to one cohort of rats and then suspending the treatment for four days to induce a withdrawal period. A separate cohort of rats was administered saline instead of amphetamines to establish a comparative control group. Following this, both cohorts were equally administered either ketamine or saline, and their performance in a forced swim stress test was evaluated to indicate the presence of depressive symptoms. Our data indicated that cohorts undergoing amphetamine withdrawals that received ketamine were significantly more active than other cohorts. In comparison, the cohort undergoing amphetamine withdrawal that received saline was consistently less active and more immobile than their counterparts. However, there was little significant difference between the saline pretreatment groups, regardless of successive ketamine treatment. While these data are not entirely conclusive about the severity of depressive symptoms from withdrawal and the caliber of relief provided by ketamine treatment, it is evident that specimens supplied with ketamine in withdrawal exhibited less depressive behaviors through their activity than did specimens that were not withdrawn.
Recommended Citation
McClung, Sara, "Efficacy of Ketamine in Reduction of Depression-Like Symptoms in D-Amphetamine Withdrawal" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 314.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/314
