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Updated: Feb 23, 2026
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Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome
Published on: September 23, 2015
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Serotonin and brain function: a tale of two receptors
R L Carhart-Harris1, D J Nutt1
1Psychedelic Research Group, Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
|September 1, 2017
Summary
Serotonin
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Consensus on brain serotonin function remains elusive.
- Serotonin's role in adaptive responses to stress requires a unified model.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a novel bipartite model of brain serotonin function.
- To integrate existing data with new findings on serotonin receptors 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of existing and novel data.
- Development of a theoretical bipartite model of serotonin neurotransmission.
Main Results:
- Serotonin enhances two distinct adaptive responses: passive coping (stress moderation via 5-HT1A receptors) and active coping (enhanced plasticity via 5-HT2A receptors).
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) enhance the 5-HT1A pathway, while psychedelics enhance the 5-HT2A pathway.
- The model explains complementary therapeutic outcomes of SSRIs and psychedelics.
Conclusions:
- The bipartite model offers a unified perspective on brain serotonin function.
- This framework elucidates how different serotonergic drugs yield distinct adaptive and therapeutic effects.
- Further research can validate this model in understanding stress, plasticity, and mental health treatments.
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