Preclinical study reveals dampened neuronal activity in alcohol-exposed mice

A psychedelic found in mushrooms is emerging as a potential treatment for alcohol use disorders. This possibility is due to a compound the body converts the psychedelic into called psilocin, but psilocin's mechanisms remain unclear. Researchers, led by Sarah Magee and Melissa Herman at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explored whether psilocin targets neurons in the central amygdala involved in emotional processing and stress to alter alcohol use in their JNeurosci paper. Herman emphasizes that preclinical work like this is necessary for filling gaps in knowledge about drug mechanisms, especially in the field of psychedelic research. 

Focusing on female mice because they drink more alcohol than male mice, the researchers discovered that psilocin dampened the activity of these neurons following long-term alcohol exposure. This decrease in activity was associated with less alcohol drinking during drug exposure, though drinking was restored in later sessions. These observations also occurred in mice with less severe alcohol exposure, supporting clinical work showing that psychedelics may help improve issues with emotional processing and stress across a range of psychiatric disorders. 

According to the researchers, these findings may shape interpretations of clinical studies on psychedelic treatments. Elaborating on their findings, says Herman, "It makes sense that dampening this neuron population reduces drinking because increased activity in these neurons is associated with alcohol use disorders. These neurons also play a role in depression and anxiety, which psychedelics are also showing promise at treating, so our work provides some mechanistic insight in those contexts, too."