There is renewed interest in psychedelics, such as psilocybin, as therapies for multiple difficult-to-treat psychiatric disorders. Even though psychedelics can induce highly pleasant or aversive experiences, depending on multiple personal and environmental factors, there is little research into how such experiences impact post-acute mood-altering actions. Here we aimed at offsetting this gap....
Psilocybin is a 5-HT2AR agonist, responsible for the psychoactive effects of psychedelic mushrooms, which has recently shown therapeutic potential for several conditions, including major depressive disorder. However, the mechanisms underlying this effect, and the possibility of dissociating the psychedelic and antidepressant actions of psilocybin, remain undetermined, with preclinical research...