Psychedelics like 5-MeO-DMT induce a dissociated brain state that combines features of waking and sleep, rather than a purely psychological change. In freely moving adult male mice, chronic neocortical recordings and pupillometry showed that the drug produces prominent slow oscillations in the cortex and marked pupil dilation while animals remain awake and moving. REM sleep was initially suppressed but overcompensated in the following 48 hours. When given immediately after sleep deprivation, 5-MeO-DMT reduced the subsequent rebound of slow-wave activity. This dissociated state may underlie psychedelic effects such as dream-like hallucinations and reopening of critical periods for plasticity.
Psychedelics like 5-MeO-DMT induce a dissociated state of arousal in mice, combining features of waking and sleep. In freely moving adult male mice, chronic neocortical recordings and pupillometry showed that the drug triggered prominent slow oscillations in the cortex and marked pupil dilation while the animals remained awake and moving. REM sleep was initially suppressed but overcompensated in the following 48 hours. This dissociated brain state, mixing waking and sleep characteristics, may underlie psychedelic effects such as dream-like hallucinations and reopening of the critical period for plasticity.