5-MeO-DMT, a hallucinogen similar to LSD, reduced movement, exploration, and startle responses in rats. These effects were blocked by a drug that targets serotonin 1A receptors but not by drugs that block serotonin 2A receptors, and only partially by a serotonin 2C blocker. This suggests that serotonin 1A receptors play a key role in the behavioral effects of 5-MeO-DMT, challenging the view that only serotonin 2 receptors are responsible for hallucinogenic effects.
MDMA (ecstasy) produces a distinctive behavioral profile in both humans and animals, as shown by studies of locomotor activity and startle/prepulse inhibition. The precise sites and mechanisms behind these effects remain under investigation. Research into MDMA and related serotonergic drugs can clarify mechanisms of drug abuse, cognition, arousal, motor activity, neurotoxicity, and potential therapeutic value.