Psychedelic Neurobiology: Sex-Specific Effects of MDMA & Psilocybin in Addiction & Reward Behavior
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Show Notes
Wide release: February 4, 2026. Not medical advice.
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
* Biased agonism: Different drugs activate the same receptor (e.g., 5-HT2A) but trigger varied intracellular pathways, explaining why LSD is psychedelic while similar lisuride is not.
* Enantiomers & isomers: Mirror-image versions of drugs like MDMA (S and R forms) and LSD (four isomers) often produce distinct effects; only one LSD isomer is psychedelic, for example.
* MDMA isomer effects: S-MDMA induces stronger head twitches (psychedelic proxy) via serotonin release, and increases dendritic spines in male mice but not females; R-MDMA has somewhat different effects.
* Sex-specific drug responses: In mice, females show stronger psychedelic effects (head twitches) from psilocybin and DOI at the same dose, but males exhibit greater post-acute benefits like reduced opioid withdrawal.
* Psilocybin in opioid addiction models: A single dose reduces place preference for oxycodone and withdrawal symptoms in male mice more than females, with opposite spine density effects in reward-related brain areas.
* Mechanisms beyond 5-HT2A: Psychedelics involve other receptors like metabotropic glutamate receptors, forming dimers with 5-HT2A to enable dual signaling pathways; effects in subcortical regions like nucleus accumbens are 5-HT2A-independent.
* Clinical implications: Street MDMA may vary in S/R ratios, affecting experiences; clinical trials often use racemic mixtures without weight-adjusted dosing, potentially missing sex differences.
ABOUT THE GUEST: Javier Gonzalez-Maeso, PhD is a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Virginia Commonwealth University, with a PhD in medicine from Spain focused on G-protein coupled receptors and human brain studies in depression and addiction.
RELATED EPISODE:
* M&M 230 | Psilocybin & MDMA: Inflammation, Stress & Brain-Body Communication | Michael Wheeler
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SUBSCRIBER CONTENT BELOW: Practical takeaways, reference paper, episode transcript.