Psilocybin targets a common molecular mechanism for cognitive impairment and increased craving in alcoholism
Marcus W. Meinhardt, Simone Pfarr, Grégory Fouquet, Cathrin Rohleder, Manuela L. Meinhardt, Janet Barroso-Flores, Rebecca Hoffmann, Jérôme Jeanblanc, Elisabeth Paul, Konstantin Wagner, Anita C. Hansson, Georg Köhr, Nils Meier, Oliver von Bohlen Und Halbach, Richard L. Bell, Heike Endepols, Bernd Neumaier, Kai Schönig, Dušan Bartsch, Mickaël Naassïla, Rainer Spanagel, Wolfgang H. Sommer
Science Advances November 17, 2021 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2399 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preclinical study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Topics | Addiction Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Prefrontal cortex Cognitive flexibility Craving Mechanism biology Executive functions Cognition Bioinformatics |
| Citations | 92 |
| Key points | Psilocybin rescues alcohol-induced mGluR2 deficits and reverses pathological behaviors in alcoholism. |
Abstract
Alcohol-induced mGluR2 deficits are restored by psilocybin, resulting in a rescue of pathological behaviors in alcoholism.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on psilocybin for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelics reopen the social reward learning critical period Mice | 2023 | Experimental study in mice | |
| Psilocybin and LSD have no long-lasting effects in an animal model of alcohol relapse Male and female rats | 2020 | Preclinical animal study | |
| Psilocybin-induced default mode network hypoconnectivity is blunted in alcohol-dependent rats Healthy rats and a rat model of alcohol relapse | 2023 | Randomized, placebo-controlled crossover pharmaco-fMRI study | |
| Psilocybin prevents reinstatement of alcohol seeking by disrupting the reconsolidation of alcohol-related memories. Male and female Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats | 2023 | Preclinical experimental study | |
| Sex-specific role of the 5-HT2A receptor in psilocybin-induced extinction of opioid reward. Male and female mice | 2025 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 55
- Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy vs Placebo in the Treatment of Adult Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder JAMA Psychiatry August 24, 2022
- Psychedelic therapy in the treatment of addiction: the past, present and future Frontiers in Psychiatry June 12, 2023
- Beyond the 5-HT2A Receptor: Classic and Nonclassic Targets in Psychedelic Drug Action. Journal of Neuroscience November 8, 2023
- Therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelics and entactogens. Neuropsychopharmacology July 24, 2023
- Psychedelic Therapy's Transdiagnostic Effects: A Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Perspective Frontiers in Psychiatry December 17, 2021
and 50 more in the library
Cites 20
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity Cell Reports June 1, 2018
- The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Drugs: Past, Present, and Future. Neuropsychopharmacology April 26, 2017
- A non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogue with therapeutic potential. Nature 2021
- Psychiatry & the psychedelic drugs. Past, present & future. Neuropharmacology December 25, 2017
and 15 more in the library