Neuroplasticity research published in 2026 (page 5)

Psychedelic neuroplasticity of cortical neurons lacking 5-HT2A receptors

Molecular Psychiatry March 1, 2026 Tyler G. Ekins, Chloe Rybicki-Kler, Tao Deng et al. 9 citations

Classical psychedelic drugs show promise as a treatment for major depressive disorder and related psychiatric disorders. This therapeutic efficacy stems from long-lasting psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity onto prefrontal cortical neurons and is thought to require the postsynaptic expression of serotonin 2A receptors (5-HT_2AR). However, other cortical regions such as the granular...

DOI: 10.1038/s41380-025-03257-w Full text

The Role of Psychedelics in Maintaining Neuroplasticity During Aging

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) February 28, 2026 Somkin Kyrylo preprint

Psychedelic compounds such as LSD and Psilocybin have historically been classified alongside illicit substances and widely regarded with skepticism. However, emerging neuroscientific evidence suggests that certain psychedelics may function as “psychoplastogens”- compounds capable of promoting structural and functional neural plasticity. Recent preclinical and early clinical studies indicate...

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18814038

Ayahuasca and Its Main Component N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) for the Treatment of Mental Disorders: Mechanisms of Action, Clinical Studies, and Tools to Explore the Human Mind

Biomedicines February 25, 2026 Alice Melani, Giorgia Papini, Marco Bonaso et al.

In recent years, psychopharmacology has experienced a significant challenge, highlighting a renewed and strong scientific interest in psychedelics as breakthrough therapies for mental disorders. Psychedelics can influence cognitive and emotional processes, showing solid therapeutic potential, particularly in treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders. Amongst the most promising compounds,...

DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines14030506 Ayahuasca Neuroplasticity Addiction Hallucinogen +7

Delayed psilocybin treatment after repeated mild traumatic brain injury recovers chronic behavioural deficits, reduces microglial density, and enhances hippocampal neurogenesis in rats

Research Square February 23, 2026 Sandy R Shultz, Josh Allen, Grace O'Regan et al. preprint

Abstract Repeated mild traumatic brain injury (RmTBI) can produce lasting cognitive, emotional, and social deficits (e.g., persistent post-concussion symptoms; PPCS). Despite the prevalence of RmTBI in sports, military, and domestic violence settings, effective treatments to alleviate the neurological consequences of RmTBI remain limited. Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, can enhance...

DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8555503/v1 Psilocybin Neuroplasticity Serotonergic Neurogenesis +12

Preliminary analysis of ayahuasca-induced anatomical alterations in the somatosensory cortex of juvenile non-human primates (Callithrix jacchus) subjected to chronic stress

Translational Psychiatry February 19, 2026 Luís Carlos Pereira, Wigínio Gabriel Lira-Bandeira, Andréa Silva Medeiros-Bandeira et al.

Major depressive disorder remains a debilitating mental health disorder affecting millions worldwide, with growing prevalence among adolescents. Recent studies highlight the critical role of the somatosensory cortex in the neuropathology of depression, including structural alterations that impair cortical function. This study investigates the prophylactic effects of ayahuasca, a classic...

DOI: 10.1038/s41398-026-03887-w Full text Neuroplasticity Somatosensory system Neuropathology Juvenile +9

Sex-dependent developmental changes in behavior, brain structure, functional connectivity, and sensory perception following exposure to psilocybin during adolescence

Neuropsychopharmacology February 18, 2026 Itishree Sahoo, Sairam Masadi, Ashwath Maheswari et al. 3 citations

Psilocybin is a hallucinogen with complex neurobiological and behavioral effects. Underlying these effects are changes in brain neuroplasticity. We hypothesized psilocybin given during adolescence, a time of heightened neuroplasticity, particularly in the forebrain, would affect emotional behavior and the associated underlying neuroanatomy, neurocircuitry, and epigenetics. Female and male mice...

DOI: 10.1038/s41386-026-02356-8 Full text Psilocybin Neuroplasticity Prefrontal cortex Hallucinogen +5

MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD: Neuroplastic Change or Psychotherapeutic Catalyst?

Translation The University of Toledo Journal of Medical Sciences February 17, 2026 Amy Hooper, Evelyn K. Lambe

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly in individuals unresponsive to conventional interventions such as SSRIs and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. As recent clinical trials report durable symptom remission, ongoing debate surrounds the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects. This review...

DOI: 10.46570/utjms-2026-1674 MDMA Serotonergic Neuroplasticity Amygdala +8

Ischemia-Induced Neurodegeneration in Glaucoma: Mechanistic Insights and Translational Opportunities for Psychoplastogen-Based Therapies

Pharmaceuticals February 14, 2026 Petra Dolenec, Goran Pelčić, Kristina Pilipović et al.

Glaucoma is increasingly recognized as an ischemic neurodegenerative disorder that extends beyond elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) to involve complex vascular, metabolic, and inflammatory mechanisms. Retinal ganglion cells are particularly vulnerable to ischemia-reperfusion injury, oxidative stress, and chronic neuroinflammation, leading to progressive disconnection from central visual...

DOI: 10.3390/ph19020316 Neuroplasticity Synaptic plasticity Neurodegeneration Neuroinflammation +9

Neuroinflammation, the gut-brain axis, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: A synthesis of emerging paradigms in psychiatric care

Future Health February 13, 2026 Anita Verma, Ravisankar Thamilarasan, Harshit Kumar

Psychiatric disorders represent a leading cause of global disability yet current therapeutic strategies, based mainly on monoaminergic modulation, exhibit limited efficacy and high relapse rates for a significant patient population. This has catalyzed a paradigm shift toward understanding the biological underpinnings of mental illness. This review synthesises evidence from three rapidly...

DOI: 10.25259/fh_74_2025 Neuroplasticity Monoaminergic Mechanism biology Neuroinflammation +7

Neurorestorative Properties of Ibogaine: Linking Multi-Receptor Affinities to Remyelination and Metabolic Restoration

Acta Neuropsychiatrica February 13, 2026 Tanya Calvey, Demi Govender, Gavin Owen et al.

Ibogaine is a psychedelic alkaloid without an approved indication. Observational clinical research shows linkages between single administration of ibogaine and relief of symptoms of neuropsychiatric conditions including substance use disorder, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury. Ibogaine has multi-receptor actions, but the neurobiological mechanisms underlying such putative effects...

DOI: 10.1017/neu.2026.10059 Full text Neuroplasticity Remyelination Neuroprotection Central nervous system +3

Psilocybin improves novel object recognition in a rat model of Fragile X Syndrome through the modulation of the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway

Neuropsychopharmacology February 13, 2026 Fabrizio Ascone, Valeria Buzzelli, Francesca Mottarlini et al. 2 citations

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited intellectual disability and a leading monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As a synaptic disorder, FXS involves the loss of Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMRP), leading to abnormal dendrite development and immature dendritic spines. Serotonergic signaling, essential for neuronal development and circuit remodeling,...

DOI: 10.1038/s41386-026-02361-x Full text Serotonergic Psilocybin Synaptic plasticity Neuroplasticity +5

Activity-Dependent Neural Rewiring: Mechanisms of Psilocybin-Induced Cortical Network Reorganization

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) February 6, 2026 Zen Revista preprint

Psychedelic compounds, particularly psilocybin, have demonstrated remarkable therapeutic potential for mental health disorders through mechanisms involving structural neural plasticity. This comprehensive review examines recent breakthrough research revealing how psilocybin triggers activity-dependent rewiring of large-scale cortical networks. Using monosynaptic rabies viral tracing,...

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18501568 Psilocybin Neuroplasticity Neuromodulation Neural activity +8

Spatiotemporal mapping of brain organisation following the administration of 2C-B and psilocybin

Molecular Psychiatry February 3, 2026 Pablo Mallaroni, S. Parker Singleton, Natasha L. Mason et al.

As psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy gains momentum, clinical investigation of next-generation psychedelics may lead to novel compounds tailored for specific populations. 2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromophenethylamine (2C-B) is a psychedelic phenethylamine reported to produce less dysphoria and subjective impairment than the psychedelic tryptamine psilocybin. Despite its popularity among recreational...

DOI: 10.1038/s41380-026-03447-0 Psilocybin Serotonergic Serotonin Neuroplasticity +13

Sexually Dimorphic Effects of a Single Neonatal Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure on Neuronal Dendritic Morphology and Cognitive Functions in Rats.

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research February 1, 2026 Meetu Wadhwa, Gregory A Chinn, Katrina Duong et al.

Cannabis consumption among adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, continues to rise. However, the long-term effects of early-life exposure to cannabinoids on brain development remain unclear. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis and is an agonist of cannabinoid type 1 receptor, a critical component of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) that...

DOI: 10.1177/25785125251387835 Full text THC Neuroplasticity Cannabinoids Cortex +5

Ayahuasca modulation of traumatic-like fear memories requires infralimbic cortex BDNF-dependent mechanisms in rats.

European Neuropsychopharmacology February 1, 2026 Isabel Werle, Francisco S Guimarães, Rafael G. Dos Santos et al.

Rodent studies have shown that psychedelic drugs can enhance fear extinction. However, investigations to date have relied on normative aversive conditioning procedures, which limit their relevance to trauma-related memories, as these tend to be overgeneralized and resistant to extinction. Fear extinction depends on activity and plasticity within the infralimbic (IL) region of the medial...

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.11.009 Full text 5-ht2a receptor Microdosing Neuroplasticity Behavioral flexibility +1

Psychedelics and the Extracellular Matrix: Rewiring Neuroplasticity and Metaplasticity for Next-Generation Psychiatric Therapies

Biological Psychiatry February 1, 2026 Jin Zhang, Cong Lin, Xinyou Lv et al. 1 citation

Classic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), have emerged as potent modulators of neuroplasticity and metaplasticity in the adult brain, offering novel therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders. Recent findings reveal that beyond their transient psychotropic effects, these compounds activate serotonin 5-HT2A receptors...

DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2026.02.011 Neuroplasticity Synaptic plasticity Perineuronal net Regulator +6

Psilocybin-Induced Neuroplasticity and Sustained Antidepressant Effects

Quality in Sport January 31, 2026 Anna Maria Komarczewska, Filip Matusiak, Klaudia Brzoza et al.

Psilocybin-assisted interventions have shown rapid reductions in depressive symptoms in controlled clinical settings, raising questions about biological mechanisms supporting durability beyond the acute drug effect. [5,7] Mechanistic accounts increasingly focus on neuroplasticity as a candidate pathway linking transient serotonergic receptor activation to longer-lasting psychological and...

DOI: 10.12775/qs.2026.51.68216 Neuroplasticity Serotonergic Antidepressant Psychological intervention +8

Single-dose DMT reverses anhedonia and cognitive deficits via restoration of neurogenesis in a stress-induced depression model.

Translational Psychiatry January 29, 2026 Rafael V Lima Da Cruz, Rêmullo B. G. De Miranda Costa, Gabriel M. De Queiroz et al. 2 citations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) remains a leading cause of disability worldwide, with current treatments limited by delayed onset and low efficacy. The serotonergic psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) has shown rapid antidepressant effects in early clinical studies, yet its mechanisms and efficacy remain poorly characterized in established models of depression. Here, we evaluated the...

DOI: 10.1038/s41398-026-03852-7 Full text

Nitrous oxide promotes exploratory activity and stimulates neurogenesis in a male rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Neuroscience January 26, 2026 Batoul Darwish, Jad El Masri, Lina Hourieh et al.

Neurogenesis in the adult brain is a precisely regulated process that remains highly sensitive to intrinsic and extrinsic influences. Among the external factors are psychological conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which arises after exposure to trauma such as war, accidents, violence, or natural disasters. PTSD, as well as other disorders like stress and depression, has...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.12.017 Full text Neurogenesis Hippocampus Nitrous oxide n2o Psychological disorders

The therapeutic efficacy of psilocybin in major depressive disorder: A review of recent clinical and mechanistic evidence

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) January 26, 2026 Fernando Mora López, Johynny Solís Solís, Ekaterina Daniela Hernández Baker et al. preprint

This review examines the therapeutic efficacy of psilocybin for major depressive disorder by integrating findings from clinical trials, meta-analyses, and mechanistic research. A comprehensive literature search across major scientific databases identified empirical studies evaluating psilocybin’s effects on depressive symptomatology, safety, and underlying neurobiological mechanisms....

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18375716 Psilocybin Default mode network Major depressive disorder Neuroplasticity +10