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Adam Stewart

Tulane University

3 papers in the library · 188 citations · publishing 2011-2015

Papers

Effects of hallucinogenic agents mescaline and phencyclidine on zebrafish behavior and physiology

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry January 10, 2012 Evan J. Kyzar, Christopher Collins, Siddharth Gaikwad et al. 122 citations

Mescaline and phencyclidine (PCP) dose-dependently increased top activity in the novel tank test, reduced immobility, and disrupted swimming patterns in zebrafish. PCP, but not mescaline, evoked circling behavior in the open field test. At the highest doses tested, mescaline markedly increased shoaling behavior, while PCP did not affect it. Whole-body cortisol levels were unchanged by 20 mg/l mescaline but elevated by 3 mg/l PCP. These findings indicate that zebrafish models are sensitive to hallucinogenic compounds, producing complex behavioral and physiological effects.

Behavioral effects of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) on adult zebrafish

Behavioural Pharmacology April 8, 2011 Adam Stewart, Russell Riehl, Keith Wong et al. 66 citations

Acute exposure to high doses of MDMA (40-120 mg/l) reduces bottom swimming and immobility in zebrafish and impairs intrasession habituation at doses as low as 10 mg/l, while lower doses (0.25-10 mg/l) show no behavioral effects. MDMA also increases brain c-fos expression. These findings support the use of zebrafish as a model for screening hallucinogenic compounds.

Three-dimensional neurophenotyping of adult zebrafish behavior: updates, achievements and future directions

Open MIND January 1, 2015 Jonathan Cachat, Chris Collins, Evan J. Kyzar et al.

Three-dimensional reconstructions of zebrafish swimming paths enable both macro- and micro-level analysis of behavior, offering a more complete picture than traditional 2D traces. Temporal 3D reconstructions plot spatial data across time to reflect activity over testing, while spatial 3D reconstructions use two cameras to depict activity within the actual arena. These reconstructions are highly sensitive to anxiolytic, anxiogenic, and hallucinogenic effects in adult zebrafish. For example, ibogaine reversed natural behaviors, a characterization impossible without 3D reconstructions. Track3D, applied for the first time in adult zebrafish, showed strong significant correlation (R>0.07) of automated endpoints with manual data, providing precise calculation of movement parameters and accurate spatiotemporal integration. These approaches permit advanced movement pattern analysis for screening psychoactive compounds.