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Psilocybin targets a common molecular mechanism for cognitive impairment and increased craving in alcoholism
- Source :
- Science Advances, Science advances 7(47), eabh2399 (2021). doi:10.1126/sciadv.abh2399
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- Description<br />Alcohol-induced mGluR2 deficits are restored by psilocybin, resulting in a rescue of pathological behaviors in alcoholism.<br />Alcohol-dependent patients commonly show impairments in executive functions that facilitate craving and can lead to relapse. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to executive dysfunction in alcoholism are poorly understood, and new effective pharmacological treatments are desired. Here, using a bidirectional neuromodulation approach, we demonstrate a causal link between reduced prefrontal mGluR2 function and both impaired executive control and alcohol craving. A neuron-specific prefrontal mGluR2 knockdown in rats generated a phenotype of reduced cognitive flexibility and excessive alcohol seeking. Conversely, virally restoring prefrontal mGluR2 levels in alcohol-dependent rats rescued these pathological behaviors. In the search for a pharmacological intervention with high translational potential, psilocybin was capable of restoring mGluR2 expression and reducing relapse behavior. Last, we propose a FDG-PET biomarker strategy to identify mGluR2 treatment-responsive individuals. In conclusion, we identified a common molecular pathological mechanism for both executive dysfunction and alcohol craving and provided a personalized mGluR2 mechanism-based intervention strategy for medication development for alcoholism.
- Subjects :
- Multidisciplinary
business.industry
food and beverages
SciAdv r-articles
Craving
Diseases and Disorders
Executive functions
Psilocybin
medicine
Molecular mechanism
ddc:500
medicine.symptom
Cognitive impairment
business
Executive dysfunction
Clinical psychology
medicine.drug
Research Article
Neuroscience
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 23752548
- Volume :
- 7
- Issue :
- 47
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Science advances
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c43b5c393c2659aa990e56f90c842c1f