The impact of a psychedelic drug on olfactory search behavior by mice

Animals use their sense of smell for survival and well-being. Any disruption to olfactory perception, can lead to devastating consequences and decreased quality of life. Psychedelics alter perception in humans, yet little is known about the impact of psychedelics on olfactory behaviors. Using an olfactory search task, we investigated the impact of the psychedelic 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) on olfactory search behavior of mice. We found that DOI decreases search accuracy, alters movement, and increases sniff rate. These findings suggest that DOI disrupts olfactory-guided behavior, elucidating psychedelic-induced changes to olfactory processes.