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Psilocin, LSD, mescaline, and DOB all induce broadband desynchronization of EEG and disconnection in rats with robust translational validity

Summary

Researchers tested how different psychedelic drugs affect brain electrical activity in rats using EEG recordings. They found that psilocin, LSD, mescaline, and DOB all produced similar patterns of decreased brain activity and reduced communication between brain regions. Importantly, these effects in rats closely matched what scientists observe in human brain studies, suggesting that rats can be useful for understanding how psychedelics work in the brain.

Background

Serotonergic psychedelics are gaining attention as potential treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders. While broadband desynchronization of EEG activity and disconnection have been demonstrated in humans, translational animal data are lacking. This study addresses the gap by examining EEG effects of multiple psychedelics in rats.

Objective

To assess the effects of tryptamine and phenethylamine psychedelics on EEG activity in freely moving rats using 14 cortical electrodes and resting-state-like EEG analysis to achieve high translational validity compared to human studies.

Results

All psychedelics induced global broadband desynchronization of EEG (1-40 Hz) with major changes in frontal and sensorimotor cortex. Tryptamines affected lower frequencies (1-25 Hz) while phenethylamines affected higher frequencies (25-40 Hz). A rebound of occipital theta activity was detected with LSD and mescaline. All substances decreased global connectivity for both cross-spectral and phase-lagged coherence.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that all psychedelics produce EEG effects nearly identical to human findings, confirming robust translational validity of the animal model. This method enables future investigation of psychedelic mechanisms and potential therapeutic applications in animal models.
  • Published in:Translational Psychiatry,
  • Study Type:Experimental Animal Study,
  • Source: 10.1038/s41398-021-01603-4
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