Neuroscience Bulletin
May 21, 2026
Noah Cavallaro, Priya Rai, David Akins et al.
Mescaline, a 5-HT2A agonist psychedelic used ceremonially for millennia, lacks neuroimaging characterization due to its Schedule 1 status. Using pharmacological and resting-state fMRI in awake rats, we report mescaline's first comprehensive neurobiological profile. Acutely, mescaline produced cerebellar-selective BOLD suppression, suggesting functional disconnection from forebrain structures....
Neuropharmacology
March 6, 2026
Noah Cavallaro, Priya Rai, David Akins et al.
1 citation
To our knowledge, this is the first fMRI characterization of 5-MeO-DMT in any species, and it reveals a previously unreported sex difference in psychedelic response. The rapid onset and brief duration of peak effects align with 5-MeO-DMT's unique pharmacological profile and clinical reports.
Neuropsychopharmacology
February 18, 2026
Itishree Sahoo, Sairam Masadi, Ashwath Maheswari et al.
3 citations
Psilocybin is a hallucinogen with complex neurobiological and behavioral effects. Underlying these effects are changes in brain neuroplasticity. We hypothesized psilocybin given during adolescence, a time of heightened neuroplasticity, particularly in the forebrain, would affect emotional behavior and the associated underlying neuroanatomy, neurocircuitry, and epigenetics. Female and male mice...
Frontiers in Neuroscience
May 1, 2025
Evan Fuini, Arnold Chang, Josh Edwards et al.
6 citations
Psilocybin is a hallucinogen with complex neurobiological and behavioral effects. This is the first study to use MRI to follow functional changes in brain activity in response to different doses of psilocybin in fully awake, drug naive rats. We hypothesized that psilocybin would show a dose-dependent increase in activity in the prefrontal cortex and thalamus, while decreasing hippocampal...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
February 6, 2025
Bryce Axe, Ashwath Maheswari, Reagan Walhof et al.
3 citations
preprint
Abstract Repetitive mild head injuries incurred while playing organized sports, during car accidents and falls, or in active military service are a major health problem. These head injuries induce cognitive, motor, and behavioral deficits that can last for months and even years with an increased risk of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. There is no approved...
Scientific Reports
August 11, 2024
Lila Harris-Blum, Zachary Smith, Richard J. Ortiz et al.
9 citations
LSD is a hallucinogen with complex neurobiological and behavioral effects. Underlying these effects are changes in brain neuroplasticity. This is the first study to follow the developmental changes in brain structure and function following LSD exposure in periadolescence. We hypothesized LSD given during a time of heightened neuroplasticity, particularly in the forebrain, would affect cognitive...
Brain Communications
2024
Ashley Ghaw, Alisha Chunduri, Arnold Chang et al.
13 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide is a hallucinogen with complex neurobiological and behavioural effects. This is the first study to use MRI to follow functional changes in brain activity in response to different doses of lysergic acid diethylamide in fully awake, drug-naive rats. We hypothesized that lysergic acid diethylamide would show a dose-dependent increase in activity in the prefrontal cortex...