The role of setting for ketamine abuse: clinical and preclinical evidence

Abstract

(2012) The role of setting for ketamine abuse: clinical and preclinical evidence. Reviews in the neurosciences, 23 (5-6). pp. 769-780. ISSN 0334-1763 This version is available from Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/57391/ This document is made available in accordance with publisher policies and may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the URL above for details on accessing the published version. Copyright and reuse:Sussex Research Online is a digital repository of the research output of the University.Copyright and all moral rights to the version of the paper presented here belong to the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. To the extent reasonable and practicable, the material made available in SRO has been checked for eligibility before being made available.Copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided that the authors, title and full bibliographic details are credited, a hyperlink and/or URL is given for the original metadata page and the content is not changed in any way. The role of setting for ketamine abuse: clinical and preclinical evidence Abstract: Drug abuse is often seen as a unitary phenomenon, partly as a result of the discovery over the past three decades of shared mechanisms of action for addictive substances. Yet the pattern of drug taking is often very different from drug to drug. This is particularly evident in the case of ' club drugs ' , such as ketamine. Although the number of ketamine abusers is relatively small in the general population, it is quite substantial in some settings. In particular, ketamine abuse is almost exclusively limited to clubs and large music parties, which suggests a major role of context in modulating the reward effects of this drug. This review focuses on recent preclinical and clinical findings, including previously unpublished data, that provide evidence that, even under controlled conditions, ketamine reward is a function of the setting of drug taking.

Effects of ketamine on psychomotor, sensory and cognitive functions relevant for driving ability

“…Ketamine misuse as a recreational drug has remarkably increased over the last decade and is now being reported from many different countries [6][7][8]. 'Special K' is especially popular among youngsters and is self-administered in rave parties or clubs [9][10][11] either alone or in combination with other drugs [12][13][14].…”

Context of Psychotropic Drug Delivery Modulates its Neurobehavioral Effects: the Case of Methylphenidate

“…Taking the case of dopamine and MPH as an example, a multitude of animal studies [30]–[34] has repeatedly demonstrated that the behavioral effects of dopaminergic psychostimulants may vary dramatically, depending on the environmental context in which they are administered. For example, in humans it was shown that dopaminergic effects of cocaine were amplified under certain conditions, such as performing a salient, novel and unpredictable task [35].…”

A Review of Ketamine Abuse and Diversion

“…[20,[126][127][128][129][130] The clinical pattern of use, and demographics of abusers, is similar to those described in the United States. Although most of the extant literature is based in the United States, reports for abuse have been published in Australia, Italy, United Kingdom, China, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe.…”

“…Although most of the extant literature is based in the United States, reports for abuse have been published in Australia, Italy, United Kingdom, China, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. [20,[126][127][128][129][130] The clinical pattern of use, and demographics of abusers, is similar to those described in the United States. Ketamine use is not as widespread as other abused drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, but is a drug of choice in party settings.…”