Vigilance state dissociation induced by 5-MeO DMT in mice
Benjamin J. B. Bréant, José Prius-Mengual, Alexander Andrews, Anna Hoerder-Suabedissen, Jasmin Patel, David M. Bannerman, Trevor Sharp, Vladyslav V. Vyazovskiy
Research Square May 6, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6377546/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study |
|---|---|
| Population | Adult male mice |
| Intervention | 5-MeO-DMT |
| Duration | 48 hours post-injection |
| Topics | 5-MeO-DMT DMT |
| Keywords | Psychedelics Consciousness Sleep research Brain activity |
| Key findings | Psychedelics induce a dissociated state of arousal in mice, characterized by cortical slow oscillations and pupil dilation in awake, moving animals, with initial REM sleep suppression followed by rebound. |
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelics lead to profound changes in subjective experience and behaviour, which are typically conceptualised in psychological terms rather than corresponding to an altered brain state or a distinct state of arousal. Here, we performed chronic electrophysiological recordings from the neocortex concomitant with pupillometry in freely moving adult male mice following an injection of a short-acting psychedelic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT). We observed an acute induction of a dissociated state of arousal, characterised by prominent slow oscillations in the cortex and marked pupil dilation in behaviourally awake, moving animals. REM sleep was initially markedly suppressed, similar to the effect of conventional antidepressants, but was overcompensated in the subsequent 48 hours. We argue that the occurrence of a dissociated brain state combining features of waking and sleep may fundamentally underpin the known and hypothesised effects of psychedelics — from dream-like hallucinations to reopening of the critical period for plasticity.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on 5-MeO-DMT, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine modulate innate and adaptive inflammatory responses through the sigma-1 receptor of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Human primary monocyte-derived dendritic cells | 2014 | In vitro study | |
| Effects of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine on Rat Behaviors Relevant to Anxiety and Depression Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats | 2018 | Experimental study | |
| Hallucinogen-like actions of 5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine in mice and rats. Mice and rats | 2006 | Preclinical study | |
| Agonist Properties of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine at Serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C Receptors Rats and transfected fibroblasts | 1998 | Experimental study | |
| Subtypes of the 5-HT receptor mediating the behavioural responses to 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine in the rat Intact rats and rats depleted of monoamines with reserpine | 1985 | Experimental study |