脳の適応能力を引き出す新薬が発見される(A single-dose compound unlocks brain’s adaptive power)

ad

2025-04-22 ミシガン大学

ミシガン大学の研究者は、1回の投与で長期間にわたり脳の柔軟な学習能力を高める幻覚剤「25CN-NBOH」の効果をマウス実験で実証した。マウスは学習タスクにおいてルールの変更にも素早く適応し、投与から3週間後でも効果が持続。これは、うつ病やPTSD、アルツハイマー病などで見られる認知柔軟性の低下に対する治療法として注目される。本研究は、人間でも同様の神経受容体(セロトニン2a)を持つことから、今後の臨床応用が期待されている。

<関連情報>

単回投与のサイケデリックが、投与数週間後にマウスの認知の柔軟性と反転学習を高める
Single-dose psychedelic enhances cognitive flexibility and reversal learning in mice weeks after administration

Elizabeth J. Brouns,Tyler G. Ekins, and Omar J. Ahmed
Psychedelics  Published:Apr 22, 2025
DOI:https://www.doi.org/10.61373/pp025r.0002

Psychedelic compounds have demonstrated remarkable therapeutic potential for treating neuropsychiatric disorders by promoting sustained neuroplasticity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Cognitive flexibility—the ability to adapt previously learned rules to novel situations—represents a critical PFC function that is frequently impaired in depression, PTSD, and neurodegenerative conditions. In this study, we demonstrate that a single administration of the selective serotonin 2A receptor agonist 25CN-NBOH produces significant, long-lasting improvements in cognitive flexibility in both male and female mice when measured 2–3 weeks posttreatment. Using a novel automated sequential learning paradigm, psychedelic-treated mice showed superior adaptability in rule reversal tasks compared to saline controls, as evidenced by enhanced poke efficiency, higher percentages of correct trials, and increased reward acquisition. These behavioral findings complement existing cellular research showing psychedelic-induced structural remodeling in the PFC and uniquely demonstrate sustained cognitive benefits persisting weeks after a single psychedelic dose. Our automated behavioral task provides a high-throughput method for evaluating cognitive flexibility effects of various psychedelic compounds, offering important implications for therapeutic applications in conditions characterized by cognitive rigidity, including depression, PTSD, and potentially Alzheimer’s disease.

医療・健康
ad
ad
Follow
ad
タイトルとURLをコピーしました