Defined radio wave frequencies attenuate the head-twitch response in mice elicited by (±)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine.
Electromagnetic biology and medicine – October 01, 2024
Source: PubMed
Summary
Serotonergic psychedelics show promise in treating psychiatric disorders where existing medications fall short. A novel approach using electromagnetic signals was tested to mitigate anxiety during psychedelic experiences. In trials with mice, a specific WAV signal derived from the 5-HT2A receptor agonist DOI significantly reduced the head-twitch response by 38% at 0.1 mg/kg and 52% at 0.3 mg/kg. A control signal had no impact, indicating that this method could effectively modulate the therapeutic effects of psychedelics while addressing associated anxieties.
Abstract
Results from clinical trials show that serotonergic psychedelics have efficacy in treating psychiatric disorders, where currently approved pharmacotherapies are inadequate. Developing psychedelic medicines, however, comes with unique challenges, such as tempering heightened anxiety associated with the psychedelic experience. We conceived a new strategy to potentially mitigate psychedelic effects with defined electromagnetic signals (ES). We recorded the electromagnetic fields emitted by the serotonin 2 receptor (5-HT2R) agonist (±)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and converted them to a playable WAV file. We then exposed the DOI WAV ES to mice to assess its effects on the DOI-elicited, 5-HT2AR dependent head-twitch response (HTR). The DOI WAV signal significantly attenuated the HTR in mice elicited by 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg subcutaneous DOI (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). A scrambled WAV signal did not affect the DOI-elicited HTR, suggesting specificity of the DOI WAV signal. These results provide evidence that defined ES could modulate the psychoactive effects of serotonergic psychedelics. We discuss putative explanations for the distinct effects of the DOI WAV signal in the context of previous studies that demonstrate ES's efficacy for treating other conditions, including pain and cancer.