Psilocybin-enhanced fear extinction linked to bidirectional modulation of cortical ensembles.

ABSTRACT: The serotonin 2 receptor (5HT2R) agonist psilocybin displays rapid and persistent therapeutic efficacy across neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by cognitive inflexibility. However, the impact of psilocybin on patterns of neural activity underlying sustained changes in behavioral flexibility has not been characterized. To test the hypothesis that psilocybin enhances behavioral flexibility by altering activity in cortical neural ensembles, we performed longitudinal single-cell calcium imaging in the retrosplenial cortex across a five-day trace fear learning and extinction assay. A single dose of psilocybin induced ensemble turnover between fear learning and extinction days while oppositely modulating activity in fear- and extinction- active neurons. The acute suppression of fear-activ

SUBMITTER: Rogers SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10862786 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature