Isolation of psychedelic-responsive neurons underlying anxiolytic behavioral states.
Science (New York, N.Y.) November 15, 2024 J Muir, S Lin, I K Aarrestad et al. 37 citations
Psychedelics may offer new treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders, but how they produce adaptive behavioral changes is not well understood. By using a light- and calcium-dependent activity integrator in mice, researchers tagged neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex that respond to a psychedelic. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing showed the drug activates many cell types, not just those with 5-HT2A receptors. When these tagged neurons were reactivated with an excitatory channelrhodopsin, the mice showed reduced anxiety without hallucinogenic-like effects. This points to specific cell-type mechanisms behind psychedelic-induced behavioral states.