Psilocybin mitigates chronic behavioral and neurobiological alterations in a rat model of recurrent intimate partner violence-related brain injury.
Molecular psychiatry April 1, 2026 Josh Allen, Mujun Sun, Tamara L Baker et al. 1 citation
In a rat model of recurrent intimate partner violence brain injury (daily mild traumatic brain injury plus non-fatal strangulation for five days followed by 16 weeks of recovery), a single dose of psilocybin (1 mg/kg) reversed injury-induced anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus-maze, increased sucrose preference (indicating reduced anhedonia), and improved reversal learning in the water maze and spatial memory in the Y-maze. Psilocybin also prevented the increase in microglial cells in the dorsal hippocampal molecular layer and the loss of reelin-positive cells in the subgranular zone seen in saline-treated injured rats. Pre-treatment with a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist blocked psilocybin's behavioral effects, indicating these benefits depend on 5-HT2A receptor activation.