Ketamine treatment is associated with increased empathy in both humans and rodents.

What is it about?

We assess the prosocial, entactogen effects of ketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression and reverse translate these findings into a rodent model of the behaviors that can be interpreted as those associated with empathy.

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Why is it important?

In patients with treatment-resistant depression, ketamine treatment was associated with increased pleasure from social situations, such as feeling pleasure from helping others. Ketamine-treated rats were more likely to protect their cage mate from harm, at the cost of obtaining sucrose. These findings suggest that ketamine has entactogen effects.