Psilocybin reduces functional correlation and the encoding of spatial information by neurons in mouse retrosplenial cortex
Victorita E. Ivan, David P Tomàs-Cuesta, Ingrid M. Esteves, Artur Luczak, Majid Mohajerani, Bruce L McNaughton, Aaron J. Gruber
European Journal of Neuroscience October 4, 2024 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16558 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Head-fixed mice navigating on a treadmill |
| Interventions | Psilocybin Ketanserin |
| Topics | Serotonin Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Spatial cognition Brain research Pharmacology Ketanserin Mutual information Psychedelics Retrosplenial cortex |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin reduces place specificity, stability, and functional correlation of retrosplenial cortex neurons in mice, and these effects are blocked by ketanserin. |
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelic drugs have profound effects on perception, cognition and mood. How psychedelics affect neural signaling to produce these effects remains poorly understood. We investigated the effect of the classic psychedelic psilocybin on neural activity patterns and spatial encoding in the retrosplenial cortex of head‐fixed mice navigating on a treadmill. The place specificity of neurons to distinct locations along the belt was reduced by psilocybin. Moreover, the stability of place‐related activity across trials decreased. Psilocybin also reduced the functional correlation among simultaneously recorded neurons. The 5‐HT 2A R (serotonin 2A receptor) antagonist ketanserin blocked these effects. These data are consistent with proposals that psychedelics increase the entropy of neural signaling and provide a potential neural mechanism contributing to disorientation frequently reported by humans after taking psychedelics.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin induces rapid and persistent growth of dendritic spines in frontal cortex in vivo Mice | 2021 | Observational cohort | |
| Harnessing psilocybin: antidepressant-like behavioral and synaptic actions of psilocybin are independent of 5-HT2R activation in mice Mice | 2021 | Experimental study | |
| Psychedelics reopen the social reward learning critical period Mice | 2023 | Experimental study in mice | |
| Correlation between the potency of hallucinogens in the mouse head-twitch response assay and their behavioral and subjective effects in other species. C57BL/6J mice | 2020 | Experimental study with dose-response experiments | |
| Effects of psilocybin on hippocampal neurogenesis and extinction of trace fear conditioning Mice | 2013 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Psilocybin triggers an activity-dependent rewiring of large-scale cortical networks Cell December 5, 2025
- Psychedelic neuroplasticity of cortical neurons lacking 5-HT2A receptors Molecular Psychiatry March 1, 2026
- The Potential Role of Psilocybin in Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery: A Narrative Review Brain Sciences May 26, 2025
Cites 36
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Psilocybin induces schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans via a serotonin-2 agonist action Neuroreport December 1, 1998
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
- Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Scientific Reports October 13, 2017
- Psilocybin induces rapid and persistent growth of dendritic spines in frontal cortex in vivo Neuron July 5, 2021
and 31 more in the library