Sex-specific increased reactivity of the PVT and prolonged PVT→CeA circuit engagement following psilocin administration.
Nature communications April 10, 2026 D P Effinger, J L Hoffman, S G Quadir et al. 1 citation
Psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, alters brain activity in rats in a sex-specific manner. It increases activity in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) and selectively engages PVT projections to the central amygdala (CeA) in females but not males. Psilocin enhances PVT reactivity to an aversive stimulus, driven by passive responders, and prevents time-dependent reductions in stimulus-evoked activity in PVT→CeA neurons in females but not males, driven by active responders. These findings identify sex-specific modulation of thalamic-limbic circuitry by psilocin, advancing understanding of how psychedelics modulate emotional brain circuits.