Dose-effect analysis of 6-APB ("Benzofury") on fear memory, motor behavior, and reward.
Kyla M Whitelock, Kaitlin R Van Alstyne, Liam J Conaboy, Jinah L Kim, Stephan G Anagnostaras
Psychopharmacology July 14, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-026-07123-7 via PubMed
Summary
6-APB, a recreational drug similar to MDMA, produces effects at very low doses (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg) in mice, while impairing short-term fear memory and long-term context memory at 5 mg/kg. It also causes modest locomotor sensitization and may produce addiction. Reduced shock reactivity appears due to ataxia rather than analgesia. The behavioral profile broadly resembles MDMA, but amnesic effects emerge at higher doses than MDMA, and there is a larger gap between potential therapeutic doses and doses causing cognitive deficits. These findings suggest 6-APB may not be a low-risk therapeutic alternative to MDMA.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male and female hybrid C57BL/6Jx129S1/SvImJ mice |
| Keywords | 6-apb Benzofury MDMA Derivative Novel psychoactive substance |
| Key finding | 6-APB impairs fear memory and produces addiction-related behavior at higher doses, with a behavioral profile similar to MDMA but not a low-risk therapeutic alternative. |
Abstract
6-(2-aminopropyl)benzofuran (6-APB) is a recreational drug that is structurally similar to MDMA. Very little is known about the behavioral effects of 6-APB or its dose-effect relationship in vivo. As the popularity of new psychoactive substances (NPS), such as 6-APB, increases due to their unscheduled status and easy availability, it is important to understand the potential benefits and/or harms of such substances. The current study aims to establish a dose-effect curve of 6-APB on fear memory, pain sensitivity, motor coordination, and addiction-related behavior in mice. Male and female hybrid C57BL/6Jx129S1/SvImJ mice were used to examine the effects of 0.01 to 5 mg/kg of 6-APB on Pavlovian fear conditioning; flinch, jump, vocalize; Accelerating Rotarod; behavioral sensitization, conditioned place preference, and conditioned responding. We found that 6-APB elicits effects at very low doses (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg), while impairing short-term fear memory and long-term context memory at a dose of 5 mg/kg. We also observed that 6-APB produces modest locomotor sensitization and may produce addiction. Finally, there is evidence of reduced shock reactivity; this was not likely due to analgesia and more likely due to ataxia produced by the drug. 6-APB produces a behavioral profile broadly similar to MDMA, with amnesic effects emerging at higher doses than MDMA and a larger gap between potential therapeutic doses and doses that produce cognitive deficits. These findings suggest 6-APB may not be the low-risk therapeutic alternative to MDMA currently sought in clinical contexts, though further research is warranted.