Gestational psychedelic exposure disrupts brain development and offspring behavior in mice.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology September 30, 2025 Ya'El Courtney, Josephine M Anderson, Christian Lagares-Linares et al. preprint
In mice, the psychedelic drug LSD crosses the placenta and enters embryonic cerebrospinal fluid within minutes. A single dose during pregnancy alters the organization of the cerebral cortex in the offspring, and repeated doses shift the balance of neuron types and increase microglia. Adult offspring, especially males, show reduced prepulse inhibition and rotational stereotypy. These findings identify a mechanism by which maternal psychedelic exposure can lead to lasting changes in brain development and behavior.