Structural plasticity and enhanced fear extinction following psilocybin in chronically stressed mice

Psilocybin increases dendritic spine density in frontal cortical neurons and facilitates fear extinction in chronically restraint-stressed mice, showing long-lasting neural plasticity.

• Why it matters: Prior work on psilocybin’s neural and behavioral effects often used stress-naive animals, leaving uncertainty about its relevance to chronic stress conditions.
• What they did: Using longitudinal imaging in mice exposed to chronic restraint stress, the study assessed changes in dendritic spine density and subsequent fear extinction after psilocybin treatment.
• The result: Psilocybin-linked structural plasticity in frontal cortex is paired with improved fear extinction following chronic stress, supporting translational relevance of psilocybin under stress.

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