Psilocybin lengthens hippocampal sharp wave ripples
Ilknur Kayikcioglu Bozkir, Ryan Lashin, Tiecheng Liu, D. Pal, K. Diba, N. Kinsky
bioRxiv August 20, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.64898/2026.08.17.745042 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study |
|---|---|
| Population | Rodents |
| Dose | 10 mg/kg |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Key findings | A 10 mg/kg dose of psilocybin decreased peak SWR frequency and increased SWR duration immediately after administration, and reduced NREM sleep for hours, suggesting potential effects on memory processing. |
Abstract
Psilocybin is a psychedelic which has been shown to induce neural plasticity through activation of intracellular serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors. It also produces brain-wide changes in structural and functional connectivity and holds promise as a therapeutic compound for treating anxiety and depression. Despite links between psilocybin-induced plasticity, the psychedelic experience, and reduction in depressive symptoms, little is known about the effects of psilocybin on the function of the highly plastic hippocampus, a region crucial for memory whose dysfunction is linked to neural disorders such as depression and anxiety. In this study, we investigated the acute and lasting effects of psilocybin on rodent sharp-wave ripples (SWRs), transient high frequency oscillations observable in the hippocampal local field potential which are linked to memory consolidation. We found that a 10 mg/kg dose of psilocybin robustly decreased the peak SWR frequency and increased the duration of SWRs immediately following administration compared to control sessions the day before and after. Psilocybin also perturbed sleep architecture, resulting in a pronounced reduction in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep which lasted for hours. Therefore, psilocybin could impact memory processing by modulating hippocampal SWRs.
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 |