Aoling Cai

The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China.

2 papers in the library · 17 citations · publishing 2023-2026

Papers

Acute psilocybin increased cortical activities in rats

Frontiers in Neuroscience May 23, 2023 Junhong Liu, Yuanyuan Wang, Ke Xia et al. 17 citations

Psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound in magic mushrooms, activates brain regions and increases functional connectivity in rats, similar to its effects in humans. Ten minutes after injection (2.0 mg/kg), positive brain activity appeared in the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum. Connectivity increased among regions including the cingulate cortex, dorsal striatum, prelimbic, and limbic areas. Psilocybin also raised levels of EGR1, a protein linked to depressive symptoms, throughout the brain, indicating widespread activation. These findings suggest the hyperactive state may underlie psilocybin's pharmacological effects.

DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1168911 Magic mushrooms 5-ht2a Bold FMRI +7

Acute psilocin increased cortical activity in rat

Frontiers in Neuroscience February 4, 2026 Junhong Liu, Y. Lynn Wang, Ke Xia et al.

Psilocin, the active component of magic mushrooms, increases brain activity and functional connectivity in rats, mirroring effects seen in humans. Ten minutes after injection, elevated activity was detected in the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortex (including the cingulate and retrosplenial cortex), hippocampus, and striatum. Functional connectivity analysis showed enhanced interconnectivity among the cingulate cortex, dorsal striatum, prelimbic, and limbic regions. Additionally, psilocin increased levels of the immediate early gene EGR1 in most cortical and striatal areas, indicating consistent activation. These findings suggest that psilocin induces a hyperactive state in rats, which may underlie its pharmacological effects.

DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2026.1593703 Retrosplenial cortex Cortex anatomy Posterior cingulate Cerebral cortex +9