The recreational hallucinogen 5-MeO-DIPT (Foxy or Methoxy Foxy) impairs cognitive flexibility in rats when administered during adolescence. Rats given repeated injections of 5 or 20 mg/kg of the drug during one of two adolescent periods were later tested as adults on spatial memory and nonspatial tasks. Drug-treated rats performed as well as controls on spatial navigation to a fixed goal, but were markedly inferior when the goal moved to a new location and on a response learning task, indicating reduced ability to adapt to changing demands. The drug also reduced serotonin activity in the forebrain, similar to MDMA, suggesting it compromises serotonergic systems.
Repeated exposure to MDMA or the drug Foxy during mid-adolescence in rats led to lasting cognitive impairments that persisted into adulthood, even though no changes in serotonin or dopamine levels were detected in the brain. MDMA-treated rats showed the most significant deficits, particularly in adapting to changing task demands on water maze tests, while a step-down passive avoidance task also revealed impairments. These findings indicate that adolescent use of these drugs can cause long-term neurocognitive problems that continue long after drug exposure ends, without measurable alterations in key neurotransmitter systems. The study highlights the need for further research into the physiological and neurochemical mechanisms behind these persistent effects.