One Injection to Get Smarter? US Researchers Find Psychedelic DOI Boosts Cognitive Flexibility in Mice

Forum topic · ✨步子哥 · 2026-01-04

Summary

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have found that DOI (2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine), a synthetic psychedelic, can significantly improve cognitive flexibility in mice after just a single dose. The drug works by activating serotonin receptors and enhancing neural plasticity, prompting long-term structural changes in the brain. Key experimental findings show the effect is delayed: no change appeared on the first day after injection, but significant improvement emerged one week later. Treated mice learned better from negative feedback and adapted to more complex environments, and the effect was maximized when combined with learning tasks. Researcher Merima Šabanović suggests the findings could point toward new treatments for psychiatric conditions, since impaired cognitive flexibility is often linked to depression and anxiety. The results, published in Nature Molecular Psychiatry, remain limited to mouse studies, and long-term effects in humans still require rigorous validation.

Overview

A research team at Weill Cornell Medicine, publishing in *Nature Molecular Psychiatry*, reports that a single dose of DOI (2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine) — a synthetic psychedelic — produces long-lasting structural changes in the mouse brain and significantly improves cognitive flexibility. Researcher Merima Šabanović found the drug activates brain plasticity, likening the effect to a brain "upgrade" reminiscent of *Rise of the Planet of the Apes*.

Mechanism

Activates serotonin receptors
Enhances neural plasticity, reshaping the brain's neuronal network

Key Experimental Findings

Delayed effect: No change on day one after injection; significant improvement appeared after one week.
Learning from failure: Treated mice began paying attention to negative feedback and adapted to more complex environments.
Synergy with challenge: The drug's effect is maximized when combined with learning tasks.

Potential Applications

Impaired cognitive flexibility is commonly associated with depression and anxiety.
If DOI proves effective in humans, it could become a new tool for treating psychiatric disorders.

Caveats

> The findings are currently limited to mouse experiments, and long-term effects still require rigorous validation.

*Source: Nature Molecular Psychiatry. This article is an interpretation of recent research and does not constitute medical advice.*