The natural hallucinogen 5-MeO-DMT, component of Ayahuasca, disrupts cortical function in rats: reversal by antipsychotic drugs.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology August 1, 2014 Maurizio S Riga, Guadalupe Soria, Raúl Tudela et al. 75 citations
5-MeO-DMT, a natural hallucinogen found in ayahuasca, disrupts brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of rodents, increasing firing in 51% and decreasing it in 35% of pyramidal neurons, while reducing the power of low-frequency cortical oscillations (<4 Hz) by 31%. This effect, which depends on 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor activation, resembles disruptions caused by other psychotomimetic agents like phencyclidine and DOI. Antipsychotic drugs (haloperidol, clozapine, risperidone) and an mGlu2/3 agonist reversed the oscillation reduction. 5-MeO-DMT also decreased blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses in visual cortex and mPFC. The findings suggest these cortical alterations underlie hallucinogenic effects and may aid antipsychotic drug development.