Cognitive and affective models of psychedelics in rodents.

Public and academic interest in psychedelics has grown due to clinical evidence of their potential benefits for treating major depressive disorder. Mechanistic studies in rodents remain relatively few but are crucial for understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of therapeutic effects. Findings from rodent studies will benefit patients only if they achieve translational validity. This chapter critically appraises rodent assays traditionally used to study cognition and affect, summarizing existing findings with psychedelics, and highlights novel, translationally valid assays. The authors argue that adopting translational assays is critical for interpreting animal studies of psychedelic effects, and that such studies can help unravel therapeutic mechanisms only if they involve relevant doses.

Study at a glance

Abstract

In recent years, public and academic interest into psychedelics has increased, given the clinical evidence of their potential benefits for treating psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder (MDD). While this has been accompanied by several landmark human studies, mechanistic studies in rodents are still relatively few, but such studies are crucial for understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of the therapeutic effects of psychedelics. However, findings from rodent studies will only be of benefit to patients if they achieve translational validity. In this chapter, we will critically appraise rodent assays traditionally used to study cognition and affect, summarising existing findings with psychedelics. We will also highlight novel, translationally valid assays that have already been used or could be used in the future to study these drugs. We argue that the adoption of translational assays is critical for the interpretation of animal studies of psychedelic effects on cognition and affect. We also discuss how these studies have the potential to help unravel the mechanisms which contribute to their therapeutic effects but only if they involve relevant doses.