Adolescent psychedelic exposure may produce lasting changes in brain circuits and social behavior, according to a new study involving male rats.
Researchers found that repeated exposure to the synthetic psychedelic 25C-NBOMe during adolescence affected communication between brain regions involved in decision-making, memory and behavior.
Study Finds Lasting Behavioral Effects
The research, led by scientists at Ningbo University in China and published in Nature Neuroscience on July 20, examined male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to 25C-NBOMe during adolescence. The researchers compared them with rats that received the compound during adulthood.
When the animals were later tested as adults, those exposed during adolescence showed greater avoidance during situations where they had to compete for food. They spent less time near the feeding point and more time in an area away from the competition. Rats exposed during adulthood did not show the same lasting behavioral pattern.
Brain Circuit Changes Identified
Researchers also recorded brain activity and found reduced synchronization between the ventral hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex. These regions play important roles in memory, decision-making and behavioral responses.
The researchers used chemogenetic techniques to further examine the connection. Activating the pathway reduced avoidance behavior in rats that had previously received the psychedelic, while inhibiting the same pathway caused avoidance in control animals. The findings suggest that changes in this circuit may contribute to the behavioral effects observed in the study.
Human Impact Remains Unclear
The findings should not be interpreted as proof that psychedelic exposure causes the same effects in human teenagers. The experiment involved male rats and a specific synthetic psychedelic, 25C-NBOMe, rather than commonly discussed psychedelic treatments such as supervised psilocybin therapy.
Researchers say future studies will need to examine different psychedelic compounds, sex differences and exposure patterns before determining whether similar brain or behavioral changes occur in humans. For now, the study provides evidence that adolescence may represent a period when the developing brain is particularly sensitive to certain psychedelic exposures.
Source: nchstats.com
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