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The effects of sub-anaesthetic doses of ketamine on memory, cognitive performance and subjective experience in healthy volunteers

Department of Psychiatry, Ysbyty Maelor, Wrexham, Clwyd LL13 7TD

Frances L. Watson

Centre for Perception and Motor Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Wales Bangor, Gwynedd LL572DG

David T. Healy

Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Hergest Unit, Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2PW, UK

Lyndsay Groves

Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Hergest Unit, Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2PW, UK

The cognitive and subjective effects of sub-anaesthetic doses of ketamine on healthy volunteers were examined. Twelve healthy volunteers received 25 mg ketamine, 10 mg ketamine and saline placebo, i.m. in a double-blind, Latin square design. A cognitive, perceptual and self-report test battery was administered over 45 min. The order of tests was rotated to control for timing effects. Ketamine (25 mg) significantly affected verbal learning and memory, parallel visual search, some measures of psychomotor performance, measures of arousal, subjective mood ratings and visual perception. Measures of attention and frontal lobe functioning were relatively unaffected. Thus, low doses of ketamine had selective, dose-related effects on memory, perceptual and psychomotor functions. The disruption of memory and perceptual processes may help to explain the unique subjective state induced by ketamine.

Key Words: ketamine • memory • perception • psychomotor performance

Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 10, No. 2, 134-140 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/026988119601000208


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