Skip to content

EEG effects of hallucinogens and cannabinoids using sleep-waking behavior as baseline.

Matthew Fairchild, Donald J. Jenden, M R Mickey, C Yale

Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior January 1980 DOI: 10.1016/0091-3057(80)90422-0 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Experimental animal study Peer reviewed
Population Cats
Interventions mescaline psilocybin tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) synhexyl
Measures EEG frequency spectrum
Key findings Hallucinogens (LSD, mescaline, psilocybin) and cannabinoid derivatives (THC, synhexyl) produced long-term, class-distinct changes in the cat EEG frequency spectrum that the authors report would be statistically unlikely during normal sleep-waking behavior, with effects similar within each drug class and durations and relative potencies consistent with other measures across species, including humans.

Abstract

Three hallucinogens (d-lysergicacid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, psilocybin) and two cannabinoid derivatives (tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), synhexyl) were tested for their long-term effects on the EEG of the cat. The drug-induced alterations in the EEG frequency spectrum were "drug-specific" in the sense that they would be statistically unlikely to occur during sleep-waking behavior. The two classes of compounds produced distinctly different EEG effects which were remarkably similar within each class. The duration of activity and relative potencies were consistent with those obtained by other measures, both in cats and in other species including man.