Cited by 644Treatment of Major DepressionNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Sustained rescue of prefrontal circuit dysfunction by antidepressant-induced spine formation

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Moda-Sava, R. N., Murdock, M. H., Parekh, P. K., Fetcho, R. N., Huang, B. S., Huynh, T. N., Witztum, J., Shaver, D. C. +11 more·2019·Science

Abstract

Why is ketamine an antidepressant?: A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the action of antidepressants is urgently needed. Moda-Sava et al. explored a possible mode of action for the drug ketamine, which has recently been shown to help patients recover from depression (see the Perspective by Beyeler). Ketamine rescued behavior in mice that was associated with depression-like phenotypes by selectively reversing stress-induced spine loss and restoring coordinated multicellular ensemble activity in prefrontal microcircuits. The initial induction of ketamine's antidepressant effect on mouse behavior occurred independently of effects on spine formation. Instead, synaptogenesis in the prefrontal region played a critical role in nourishing these effects over time. Interventions aimed at enhancing the survival of restored synapses may thus be useful for sustaining the behavioral effects of fast-acting antidepressants. Science , this issue p. eaat8078 ; see also p. 129

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Crossref · 10.1126/science.aat8078

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  • Activation of AS-PaRac1 three hours post-treatment did not impact tail suspension test behavior 48 hours post-treatment, prior to the onset of spine formation by ketamine at 12 hours post-treatment.

    “Activation of AS-PaRac1 three hours post-treatment did not impact tail suspension test behavior 48 hours post-treatment, which is prior to the onset of spine formation by ketamine 12 hours post-treatment.”

    From Mechanisms of ketamine and its metabolites as antidepressants (2022) · cites this paper as Moda-Sava et al., 2019

    The Results section on prefrontal spinogenesis reports that activating AS-PaRac1 3 hours after ketamine did not affect immobility behavior when tested 2 days after treatment. It also reports that increased spine formation became detectable at 12–24 hours. The 3-hour activation preceded spine formation, but the sentence incorrectly describes the 48-hour behavioral test as occurring before it. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Chronic 21-day corticosterone exposure in mice induces dendritic spine elimination in mPFC, which is rescued 24 hours after a single ketamine treatment at 10 mg/kg i.p.

    “Using a chronic (21 day) corticosterone (CORT) exposure model of depression in mice, this study demonstrated that CORT induces dendritic spine elimination in the mPFC which is rescued 24 hours following a single ketamine treatment (10 mg/kg i.p.).”

    From Mechanisms of ketamine and its metabolites as antidepressants (2022) · cites this paper as Moda-Sava et al., 2019

    The Results sections report spine loss after chronic CORT exposure, including a 21-day assessment, and imaging 24 hours after a single 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal ketamine dose (page numbers unavailable). Ketamine reversed the effect on spine density, but “rescued” overstates recovery of the eliminated spines: 51.7% of lost spines were not restored, and ketamine did not significantly change spine elimination rates. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The rapidity and magnitude of ketamine's antidepressant effects have been attributed to its ability to rapidly reverse neuroplasticity deficits in animal models.

    “The rapidity and magnitude of ketamine's effects have been attributed to its ability to rapidly reverse neuroplasticity deficits in animal models 3,4,10,34 .”

    From Neuroplasticity in cognitive and psychological mechanisms of depression: an integrative model (2020) · cites this paper as [10]

    The Results report that ketamine rescued stress-related spine loss in mice, supporting the neuroplasticity-reversal part of the claim. But the Results section on prefrontal spinogenesis says behavioral effects began at 3 hours, before spine formation increased at 12–24 hours; spine formation was not required for the acute effect. This paper therefore does not support attributing the rapidity of ketamine’s effects to spine restoration, and it does not establish that mechanism as an explanation for their magnitude. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Multiple efficacious therapies often reverse neuroplasticity deficits.

    “Impairments of neuroplasticity often characterize disorders of negative affect including depression 3,4 and multiple efficacious therapies often reverse such deficits 10,148-151 .”

    From Neuroplasticity in cognitive and psychological mechanisms of depression: an integrative model (2020) · cites this paper as [10]

    The Discussion (page not provided) reports that ketamine rescued stress-associated spine loss and prefrontal circuit dysfunction in two mouse models. It does not establish that multiple efficacious therapies reverse neuroplasticity deficits; it discusses other interventions as possibilities rather than demonstrated results. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Ketamine and psychedelics modulate cortical neuron function by increasing dendritic spine and synapse density in the PFC.

    “Ketamine and psychedelics modulate cortical neuron function by increasing dendritic spine and synapse density in the PFC (129, 146–149)”

    From Psychedelics and Other Psychoplastogens for Treating Mental Illness. (2021) · cites this paper as [129]

    The Results section (‘Antidepressant-dose ketamine selectively restores lost spines’; page not provided) reports that ketamine increased PFC dendritic spine and synapse density. This paper does not establish the claim for psychedelics. Its Results section (‘Prefrontal spinogenesis sustains the remission of depression-related behavior over time’) also reports that ketamine restored circuit activity before spine formation was detectable, so increased spine density was not required to induce the functional change. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Moda-Sava, R. N., Murdock, M. H., Parekh, P. K., Fetcho, R. N., Huang, B. S., Huynh, T. N., Witztum, J., Shaver, D. C., Rosenthal, D. L., Alway, E. J., Lopez, K., Meng, Y., Nellissen, L., Grosenick, L., Milner, T. A., Deisseroth, K., Bito, H., Kasai, H., & Liston, C.
Affiliations
  • Weill Cornell Medicine (US)
  • Stanford University (US)
  • The University of Tokyo (JP)
  • Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, The University of Tokyo (JP)
Corresponding author
  • Moda-Sava, R. N.
  • Murdock, M. H.
  • Parekh, P. K.
  • Liston, C.
Venue
Science
Published
2019-04-12
Volume
364
Issue
6436
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W2935995671
Cited by
643
References
96
Citations by year
2026: 64 · 2025: 92 · 2024: 91 · 2023: 91 · 2022: 91 · 2021: 96 · 2020: 84 · 2019: 34
FWCI
47.26
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R00 MH097822, R01 MH109685)
  • Simons Foundation (429965)
  • Whitehall Foundation
  • Rita Allen Foundation
  • KAKENHI (Grant 17H06312)
  • Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
  • Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology
  • Hartwell Foundation
  • One Mind Institute
  • Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship in Brain Science
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
depression, antidepressant effects, ketamine, dendritic spine formation, medial prefrontal cortex, postsynaptic neurons
MeSH terms
Animals, Antidepressive Agents, Corticosterone, Depressive Disorder, Disease Models, Animal, Escape Reaction, Ketamine, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Transgenic, Neuronal Plasticity, Stress, Psychological, Synapses, Prefrontal Cortex, Dendritic Spines, Mice

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