The high rodents are potentially helping humans by either tripping or not.
For seven years, scientists from the University of Lund in Sweden have been testing the effects of psychedelics and amphetamines on the brain activity of rats.
The experiments are two-fold: first, to see how drugs that are sometimes used recreationally may help neurological disorders; and the second is to test where consciousness begins, which could be a factor in developing artificial intelligence.
Par Halje, an Integrative Neurophysiology researcher at the University of Lund, told CBS News, “One important aspect is, of course, to understand better the therapeutic mechanism of these drugs. Why is it actually helping in depression, for example? We urgently need a better understanding of how consciousness is generated. But yeah, but right now, we only know that it is generated in our brains.”
LSD, the drug sometimes referred to as acid or lucy, was introduced in the 1940s as a psychiatric drug, but became popular recreationally with the hippie movement of the 1960s and 70s.
Ketamine is a horse tranquilizer that has shown promise in humans as a depression and pain management tool. It has also found its way as a popular party drug.
Over 100 areas of the rats’ brains are monitored. Researchers say the experiment is not that complicated.
“It’s the simplest experiment possible. We just measure spontaneous behavior, spontaneous activity,” Halje said. “We just give the drug, and we compare the activity before drug and after drug.”
Scientists have a way to go before the connections are made between psychological treatments and brain consciousness.
Sebastian Barrientos Baeza an Integrative Neurophysiology researcher from University of Lund added, “lately this topic has gained lots of attention and the therapeutic potentials are huge. However, little is known about the mechanisms and we saw a great opportunity.”
The high rodents are potentially helping humans by either tripping or not.
