Effects of psilocybin, the 5-HT2A receptor agonist TCB-2, and the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist M100907 on visual attention in male mice in the continuous performance test.
Psychopharmacology October 19, 2023 Arya Rahbarnia, Zhaoxia Li, Paul J Fletcher 9 citations
Psilocybin, a 5-HT2A receptor agonist and hallucinogen, is being investigated as a treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders like depression, which involve attention deficits. In a rodent continuous performance task (CPT), psilocybin (0.3, 1, and 3 mg/kg), the 5-HT2A agonist TCB-2, and the antagonist M100907 all reduced hit and false alarm rates and induced conservative responding. Psilocybin also reduced target discrimination. These effects occurred primarily at doses that also reduced locomotor activity. No drug effects were seen on a more difficult CPT or after repeated psilocybin injections. The results provide little support for psilocybin altering visual attention or for 5-HT2A receptors modulating this process.