{
  "id": 206363,
  "title": "Mapping excitatory synaptic plasticity evoked by single-dose psilocybin in mice",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/mapping-excitatory-synaptic-plasticity-evoked-by-single-dose",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-05T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.31.741703v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A single dose of psilocybin can trigger enduring antidepressant effects in mice, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear, especially concerning synaptic function and drug-target specificity. Researchers aimed to uncover the single-dose psilocybin-induced excitatory synaptic plasticity. They assessed synaptic plasticity using whole-cell patch-clamp recording of excitatory synaptic transmission 24 hours post-treatment with a single dose of psilocybin. The recordings were correlated with transcriptomic data and validated using a conditional single-vector CRISPR/SaCas9-dependent knockout strategy to establish the role of the 5-HT2A receptor. Psilocybin selectively enhanced the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents within specific cortical sub-regions and the amygdala. This frequency correlated with the expression levels of psilocin-targeted serotonin receptors, accounting for expression heterogeneity across cortical regions and along the anterior-posterior axis. Deleting the post-synaptic Htr2a gene in the insular/orbitofrontal cortex abolished psilocybin-induced 24-hour plasticity. These findings reveal that lasting psilocybin-induced modifications to excitatory synaptic transmission occur with brain-region specificity, likely reflecting the functional impact of synapse formation. This study lays the groundwork for a circuit-specific, mechanistic comprehension of the functional dimensions of psilocybin-induced neuroplasticity.",
  "summary": "A single dose of psilocybin can induce long-lasting antidepressant effects. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying such sustained antidepressant effect remain insufficiently understood, particularly at the level of synaptic function and drug-target specificity. Here, we aimed to delineate single-dose psilocybin-induced excitatory synaptic plasticity. Synaptic plasticity was assessed by…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}