A single administration of the hallucinogen, 4-acetoxy-dimethyltryptamine, prevents the shift to a drug-dependent state and the expression of withdrawal aversions in rodents.
The European journal of neuroscience June 1, 2017 Hector Vargas-Perez, Taryn E Grieder, Ryan Ting-A-Kee et al. 21 citations
A single dose of a 5-HT2A receptor agonist, given systemically or directly into the ventral tegmental area (VTA), blocks the aversive conditioned response to drug withdrawal in rats and mice. The treatment also prevents the neural switch from a drug-naive to a drug-dependent motivational system, which is linked to BDNF-mediated adaptations in the VTA. The findings suggest that 5-HT2A agonists may reverse a drug-dependent state and reduce withdrawal-induced aversion, offering a potential therapeutic approach for substance use disorders.