Visualizing drug actions on dendrites: psilocybin and other classic psychedelics
OpenAlex – January 01, 2023
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, rapidly rewires the brain. Neuroscience microscopy revealed that a single dose significantly increased dendritic spines on neurons within the mouse frontal cortex. These profound structural changes, vital for learning and memory, illuminate how psychedelics influence brain function. Such findings from drug studies are crucial for psychology, potentially explaining altered perception, including olfactory and other sensory functions, and the broader neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior.
Abstract
To determine effects of psychedelics on neuronal architecture, we used two-photon microscopy to image dendritic spines in mouse frontal cortex after administering psilocybin (Neuron, 109, 2535, 2021) and compared with other psychoactive drugs.