Psychedelics and Anxiety Relief
the researchers found that it's possible to target just the anxiety-relieving effects of psychedelics.
This study looks at how psychedelic drugs like DOI (a chemical similar to compounds in "magic mushrooms") can help with anxiety, but without causing the intense hallucinations usually associated with psychedelics. Researchers focused on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in mice, a part of the brain that plays a key role in mood and behavior.
By using advanced techniques like single-nucleus RNA sequencing and optogenetics, they identified a specific group of neurons (brain cells) in the mPFC that are activated by the psychedelic. When these neurons were reactivated—without the full psychedelic drug—they were able to reduce anxiety in the mice, but without triggering the usual hallucinogenic effects.
This finding is important because it shows that the therapeutic effects of psychedelics—like relieving anxiety—can be separated from the sensory distortions and hallucinations that are often experienced with higher doses. Essentially, it’s a step toward developing more targeted treatments for anxiety that harness the benefits of psychedelics, but without the overwhelming side effects.
This is a major step toward understanding how psychedelics can be used for therapeutic purposes without the side effects of sensory distortions. The ability to dissociate the therapeutic effects from the hallucinogenic ones could pave the way for creating more targeted and safer treatments for anxiety and potentially other psychiatric disorders.
This research could eventually lead to new therapies that specifically target the brain circuits responsible for anxiety relief, making psychedelic-based treatments both safer and more practical for widespread use.
You can access the full article via the DOI: 10.1126/science.adl0666.
