Psilocybin decreases neural responsiveness and increases functional connectivity while preserving pure-tone frequency...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychopharmacology

Background:

• Serotonergic psychedelics, like psilocybin, show therapeutic potential for neuropsychiatric disorders.
• Understanding psilocybin's effects on sensory processing in the brain is crucial, especially for auditory pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of psilocybin on neural activity and behavior in the auditory cortex of awake mice.
• To determine how psilocybin influences neuronal responses to auditory stimuli and functional connectivity.

Main Methods:

• Two-photon imaging was used to monitor neural activity in the auditory cortex of mice.
• Behavioral activity of free-roaming mice was recorded during baseline and psilocybin treatment.
• Control groups received intraperitoneal saline injections.

Main Results:

• A 2 mg/kg dose of psilocybin initially increased neural response amplitude to sound.
• Post-dose, behavioral activity and neural response amplitudes decreased, while functional connectivity increased.
• Neuronal stimulus selectivity, including tonotopic maps and frequency tuning, remained stable.

Conclusions:

• Psilocybin modulates the balance between intrinsic neural activity and stimulus-driven influences in the auditory cortex.
• Findings suggest psilocybin impacts auditory processing, potentially explaining therapeutic effects observed in clinical settings.