Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Sweden Experimenting With Rats on LSD to Cure Depression, Addiction

Sweden Experimenting With Rats on LSD to Cure Depression, Addiction

Psychedelic drugs were widely studied in the post-war decades. However, as those studies were largely sub-par in terms of contemporary standards, interest in this topic waned amid a 'war on drugs' launched by the authorities. Of late, the perception of psychedelic drugs has been re-evaluated, and research is now underway on their medical use.

At Lund University, Sweden, a research team is studying how the rats' brains are affected by LSD – in a bid to draw conclusions that would allow them to cure or alleviate depression and addiction in humans.

The rodents were operated upon and hair-thin electrodes were placed in their brains. This allowed the researchers to measure what happens when they are fed LSD.

“It's a little strange because these substances are among the most powerful we know, but the rats don't seem to be that affected. In any case, you do not see any clear behaviour that changes, but what happens in their consciousness we do not know at all,” Lund University neurophysiologist Pär Halje told national broadcaster SVT.

Previous research has suggested that various psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin can have a positive effect on the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and various addictions. The goal of the study is to provide more solid scientific support for the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs.

“The theory behind it is that psychedelic substances re-furnish the connections between the nerve cells and increase the brain's ability to rebuild itself”, Halje said in an earlier interview.

So far, researchers in Lund established that rats get “quieter” brain cells whereas the electrical impulses in the brain increase.

“We don't know why the rats' brains are affected in this way or what it means for the therapeutic effect. Once you understand the mechanisms behind it, you may be able to develop other similar molecules that don't provide the effect of 'tripping'. Then you have to understand the mechanisms better and that is what we are trying to accomplish,” Pär Halje explained.

According to Pär Halje, the rats are put to sleep when the electrodes are operated on and they don't feel any pain from the electrodes because they lack pain receptors in the brain. According to the rules regarding ethics, the rats mustn't be left alone for more than 24 hours during an experiment, because they are social animals.

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was first produced by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann in 1938, who expected the substance to act as an analeptic (a drug that stimulates breathing and blood circulation, to be administered in case of poisoning). It was widely studied from the 1950s to the 1970s to evaluate behavioural and personality changes, as well as to achieve remission of psychiatric symptoms in various disorders, as part of the rational design of psychedelic drugs championed by chemists such as Alexander Shulgin. However, those studies were not performed in accordance with contemporary standards, and general scientific interest in this field declined amid the US-initiated war on drugs. The resurgence of interest in LSD research and its therapeutic potential for psychiatry has taken several decades.

As of now, research into the medicinal use of psychedelic drugs is underway in the UK, Switzerland and the US.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Britain's Online Safety Law Sparks Outcry Over Privacy, Free Speech, and Mass Surveillance
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Grok 4 Video plus Voice, can identify wildlife!
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
The UK Does Not Have a ‘Far-Right’ Problem
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
×