Research Keyword: serotonin 5-HT2A receptor expression

Serotonin 5-HT2A receptor expression is chronically decreased in the anterior cerebral cortex of male rats following repetitive low-level blast exposure

Military Veterans exposed to blast explosions often develop long-term problems with memory, anxiety, and PTSD. Researchers found that in rats exposed to blast, a brain receptor called 5-HT2A becomes less active, particularly in the front part of the brain involved in thinking and emotions. This decrease in the receptor correlates with anxiety-like behaviors in the animals. Since psychedelic substances like psilocybin activate this same receptor, the findings suggest that such substances might help treat PTSD and cognitive problems in blast-injured Veterans.

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