Effects of psilocybin on hippocampal neurogenesis and extinction of trace fear conditioning
Experimental Brain Research June 1, 2013 Briony J. Catlow, Shijie Song, Daniel Paredes et al. 266 citations
Psilocybin, a serotonin 2A receptor agonist, facilitates extinction of conditioned fear responses in mice, with low doses producing faster extinction than high doses or saline. The drug also reduces hippocampal neurogenesis in a dose-dependent manner, but the low doses that enhanced extinction did not decrease neurogenesis and instead showed a trend toward increase. This suggests that psilocybin's effect on fear extinction may involve brain regions other than the hippocampus, such as the amygdala, which processes fear perception. Psilocybin and similar agents warrant exploration as potential treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder and related conditions.