A single dose of ibogaine (40 mg/kg) reinstates juvenile-like experience-dependent plasticity in the adult mouse visual cortex. Adult mice given ibogaine and then four days of monocular deprivation showed reduced visual acuity in the deprived eye and decreased dendritic spine density in the binocular visual cortex, effects not seen in vehicle-treated mice. Ibogaine alone did not alter these measures. The plasticity-enhancing effect was accompanied by reductions in perineuronal nets, parvalbumin-positive interneuron staining, and vesicular GABA transporter-labeled inhibitory puncta. These findings suggest ibogaine can reopen windows of heightened cortical adaptability by reducing structural and inhibitory brakes on plasticity.
A single dose of ibogaine, an atypical psychedelic, reinstated juvenile-like experience-dependent plasticity in the adult mouse visual cortex. Adult mice given ibogaine and then subjected to four days of monocular deprivation showed reduced visual acuity in the deprived eye and decreased dendritic spine density in the binocular visual cortex, effects not seen in vehicle-treated mice. Ibogaine alone did not alter these measures. The plasticity enhancement was accompanied by reductions in perineuronal nets, parvalbumin-positive interneurons, and inhibitory synaptic puncta density, suggesting ibogaine removes structural and inhibitory brakes on plasticity. These findings indicate ibogaine's therapeutic actions may stem from reopening windows of heightened cortical adaptability.