The rapid psychedelic effects of the mushroom chemical psilocybin and its long-lasting mood-elevating effects are remarkable. While psilocybin and other psychedelics activate the serotonin 5HT2A receptor the nature of the functional and structural changes responsible for the dramatic effects of psychedelics on perception, mood, and cognition are unknown. In this episode Cornell University Professor Alex Kwan talks about very recent research in his laboratory showing that psilocybin triggers long-lasting changes in the structure of certain neural networks in the brain that may explain the neuropsychological effects of psychedelics.
LINKS
Kwan lab at Cornell
https://alexkwanlab.org/
Review article in Nature Reviews Neuroscience:
file:///Users/markmattson/Downloads/s41583-024-00876-0%20(1).pdf
Article in Nature:
file:///Users/markmattson/Downloads/s41586-025-08813-6%20(2).pdf
Article in CELL:
https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0092-8674%2825%2901305-4
Brain Ponderings podcast with Dr. Mark Mattson