Neural correlates of mentalizing under ketamine
We expected social trials to evoke BOLD signal increases in social brain regions when compared to physical trials (control). This manipulation check was performed on the data of the placebo participant group creating a second-level model, using the SOC > PHY contrast images for the question part of the trial. Results (Fig. Neural correlates of social cognition and effects of ketamine during the modified MASC task. Threshold at p(FWE-cluster level) = 0.05, based on a voxelwise uncorrected threshold of p < 0.001. (We proceeded to evaluate effects of ketamine on social cognition during the MASC by comparing, for each of the four trial parts, the social with the physical trials (SOC > PHY) between groups. We found a significant increase in BOLD signal in the ketamine group during presentation of the questions in a cluster located in the right posterior superior temporal sulcus region [pSTS; x = 45, y = − 58, z = 17, Clusters of voxels that exhibited increased functional connectivity with the right pSTS in the placebo group during the question phase of the social compared to the physical trials were found (see Fig. Functional connectivity during social cognition and effects of ketamine. Threshold at p(FWE-cluster level) = 0.05, based on a voxelwise uncorrected threshold of p < 0.001. (