Sex-specific effects of psychedelic drug exposure on central amygdala reactivity and behavioral responding.
Translational psychiatry April 8, 2023 D P Effinger, S G Quadir, M C Ramage et al. 49 citations
Psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, produces sex-specific and lasting changes in central amygdala (CeA) activity and reactivity to an aversive stimulus in mice. Acutely, psilocin increased CeA activity in both sexes and increased stimulus-specific CeA reactivity in females but not males. Over time, psilocin decreased CeA reactivity in males from 2 to 28 days after administration, while no such decrease occurred in females. Behavioral responses to the aversive stimulus also showed sex-dependent changes in threat responding, without affecting exploratory behavior or locomotion. These findings indicate that a single dose of psilocin induces enduring, sex-specific alterations in CeA function and threat-related behavior.