@article{ref1,
title="Ethanol-like effects of thiopental and ketamine in healthy humans",
journal="Journal of psychopharmacology",
year="2010",
author="Dickerson, D. and Pittman, B. and Ralevski, E. and Perrino, A. and Limoncelli, D. and Edgecombe, J. and Acampora, G. and Krystal, J. and Petrakis, I.",
volume="24",
number="2",
pages="203-211",
abstract="The γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABA<sub>A</sub>) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors mediate aspects of the behavioural effects of alcohol. Prior studies reported drugs that block NMDA receptors or facilitate GABA<sub>A</sub> receptor function produce ethanol-like effects in humans. The purpose of this study was to compare the ethanol-related effects of two pharmacological agents with known NMDA and GABA<sub>A</sub> receptor activity. As part of an ongoing, larger study, 28 subjects (age, 21—30) with no personal or family histories of alcoholism were administered subanesthetic doses of the GABA<sub>A</sub> receptor agonist thiopental, the NMDA receptor antagonist, ketamine and placebo on three separate test days. Various ethanol-related measures were administered. At doses of thiopental and ketamine that produced similar levels of sedation and cognitive effects, both agents produced significant ethanol-like effects and subjective intoxication. However, the intensity of the ethanol-like effects of ketamine was greater than that of thiopental. In addition, ketamine produced alterations in perception that were not produced by thiopental. These data provide further support for a model where GABA<sub>A</sub> receptor facilitation may contribute significantly to ethanol effects associated with social drinking, whereas NMDA receptor antagonism may contribute to relatively greater extent to features of ethanol ‘intoxication’.<p />",
language="",
issn="0269-8811",
doi="10.1177/0269881108098612",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269881108098612"
}