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Cognitive effects of intramuscular ketamine and oral triazolam in healthy volunteers

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Abstract

Rationale

Several studies have documented impairments in memory processes as a result of ketamine administration; however, few studies have compared the profile of cognitive effects of ketamine to other drugs.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare the cognitive effects of ketamine with those of triazolam in healthy volunteers.

Methods

Doses of ketamine (0.2, 0.4 mg/kg intramuscular (i.m.)), triazolam (0.2, 0.4 mg/70 kg p.o.), and double-dummy placebos were administered to 20 volunteers under repeated measures, counterbalanced, double-blind conditions. Peak physiological, psychomotor, subjective, and cognitive effects were examined.

Results

Ketamine impaired balance when balance was assessed early in the task order, whereas triazolam impaired psychomotor coordination and divided attention irrespective of task order. Triazolam also tended to produce greater effects on working memory and episodic memory tasks than ketamine at doses that produced lower subjective effects and higher estimates of performance.

Conclusions

Ketamine produces less cognitive impairment than triazolam at doses that produced greater subjective effects. Thus ketamine does not produce the underestimation of cognitive impairment typically seen with triazolam.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Crystal Barnhouser, Julia Kane, and John Yingling for technical assistance, and Paul Nuzzo and Linda Felch for data analysis. This study was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Grants R01 DA03889 and T32 DA07209

Conflict of interest

In the past 3 years, Lawrence Carter has served as a Special Government Employee for FDA and as a consultant for Dan’s Plan, LLC, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc., KemPharm, Inc., and UCB, SA. He is currently employed by Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and owns stock options in the company. During the past 3 years, on issues related to drug abuse liability, Roland Griffiths has been a consultant to or has received contracts or grants from: Abbott Laboratories, Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hoffman-La Roche Inc., Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co., Neurocrine Biosciences, Novartis, Pharmacia Corporation, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Transcept Pharmaceuticals Inc., Vanda Pharmaceuticals, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA

    Lawrence P. Carter

  2. Hayes, Inc, 157 S. Broad Street, Lansdale, PA, 19446, USA

    Bethea A. Kleykamp

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA

    Roland R. Griffiths & Miriam Z. Mintzer

  4. Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA

    Roland R. Griffiths

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  1. Lawrence P. Carter
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  2. Bethea A. Kleykamp
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  3. Roland R. Griffiths
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  4. Miriam Z. Mintzer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miriam Z. Mintzer.

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Carter, L.P., Kleykamp, B.A., Griffiths, R.R. et al. Cognitive effects of intramuscular ketamine and oral triazolam in healthy volunteers. Psychopharmacology 226, 53–63 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2883-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2883-x

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