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Psilocybin Boosts Fear Extinction via Cortex Modulation
- A groundbreaking study published in Nature Neuroscience in 2025 sheds light on the neural mechanisms by which psilocybin enhances behavioral flexibility and fear extinction through cortical modulation.
- Psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, demonstrates rapid and sustained efficacy in neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by maladaptive responses and rigid behaviors.
- The study investigated how psilocybin remodels cortical microcircuits to enhance behavioral flexibility by modulating neuronal activity bidirectionally.
- By examining individual neurons within the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), the researchers uncovered cellular mechanisms underlying therapeutic changes in behavioral flexibility.
- Using cutting-edge longitudinal single-cell calcium imaging techniques in murine models, the study revealed the impact of psilocybin on fear extinction at the neural ensemble level.
- Psilocybin induced turnover in cortical neural ensembles within the RSC, suppressing fear-active neurons and recruiting extinction-active neurons, leading to enhanced fear extinction.
- The study's computational modeling approach simulated the microcircuit dynamics observed experimentally, providing mechanistic insights into how psilocybin-induced changes influence behavioral outcomes.
- Understanding how psilocybin modulates neuronal ensembles within the RSC offers potential for targeted interventions in trauma-related disorders by enhancing dynamic circuit flexibility.
- The study's findings challenge traditional notions of neural plasticity by suggesting that short-term psilocybin exposure can lead to lasting cortical remodeling, impacting behavioral inflexibility.
- The dualistic modulation of fear-active and extinction-active neurons by psilocybin highlights the drug's ability to rewire cortical ensembles, presenting a promising avenue for next-generation therapeutics targeting maladaptive behaviors.
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