Serotonin biology as a basis for explaining psychedelic drug action.

Psychedelic drugs primarily influence serotonergic signaling, with effects varying across receptor subtypes and spatiotemporal patterns, impacting reward, vision, and cerebrovascular functions.

• Why it matters: Understanding how psychedelics alter serotonin pathways is crucial for elucidating their complex effects and potential therapeutic applications, filling gaps in current neuropharmacological knowledge.
• What they did: The review synthesizes studies on serotonin's roles in reward learning, visual processing, and cerebrovascular regulation, comparing endogenous serotonin release with psychedelic-induced effects across 20+ compounds.
• The result: Viewing psychedelics through serotonin biology offers a mechanistic framework that links molecular actions to circuit dynamics and behavior, advancing insights into their neuropsychological impact.