Animal models of serotonergic psychedelics
González-Maeso, J., Hanks, J. B.
This review (2012) presents the behavioral effects induced by psychedelic drugs in animal models and evaluates how results from animal studies can be translate to humans. It also defines areas where further research is needed to better understand the molecular mechanisms and neuronal circuits underlying the neuropsychological effects of classical psychedelics.
Abstract
The serotonin 5-HT2A receptor is the major target of psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline, and psilocybin. Serotonergic psychedelics induce profound effects on cognition, emotion, and sensory processing that often seem uniquely human. This raises questions about the validity of animal models of psychedelic drug action. Nonetheless, recent findings suggest behavioral abnormalities elicited by psychedelics in rodents that predict such effects in humans. Here we review the behavioral effects induced by psychedelic drugs in rodent models, discuss the translational potential of these findings, and define areas where further research is needed to better understand the molecular mechanisms and neuronal circuits underlying their neuropsychological effects.