5-methoxy-N,N-di(iso)propyltryptamine hydrochloride (Foxy)-induced cognitive deficits in rat after exposure in adolescence.

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Foxy or Methoxy Foxy (5-methoxy-N,N-di(iso)propyltryptamine hydrochloride; 5-MeO-DIPT) is rapidly gaining popularity among recreational users as a hallucinogenic "designer drug." Unfortunately, much remain unknown about the consequences of its use on neuropsychological development or behavior. During one of two adolescent periods, the rats were given repeated injections of 5 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg of 5-MeO-DIPT or a corresponding volume of isotonic saline. After the animals reached adulthood, they were trained and tested on a number of tasks designed to assess the impact of 5-MeO-DIPT, if any, on spatial memory, presumably involving declarative memory systems as well as a nonspatial task that is considered sensitive to disruptions in nondeclarative memory. Both the 5-MeO-DIPT- and saline-treated rats were able to master spatial navigation tests where the task included a single goal location and all groups performed comparably on these phases of training and testing. Regardless of exposure level during adolescence, the performance of the drug-treated rats was markedly inferior to that of the control animals on a task where the goal was moved to a new location and on a response learning task, suggesting a lack of flexibility in adapting their responses to changing task demands. Detected reductions in serotonin activity in the forebrain similar to the effects of extensively investigated compounds such as methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), suggest that 5-MeO-DIPT may produce its adverse effects by compromising serotonergic systems in the brain.