Certain psychiatric medications, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can be harmful during pregnancy and the postnatal period, having been shown to lead to birth defects and reduce maternal behaviors. These factors may require birthing parents to temporarily stop taking such medications, but ceasing them may pose a risk to the parent. This presents an opportunity to explore the potentially therapeutic effects of hallucinogens—which have been evaluated in recent studies on anxiety and compulsivity, showing promising results—and their influence on maternal behavior. In our study, we are working to evaluate the effects of psilocybin on postnatal maternal behavior in rats who receive reduced nesting materials, thus creating a model for limited resources and environmental stress. We hypothesize that psilocybin will increase the quality of maternal behavior in the limited nesting group to the point where it is equal to that of the regular nesting group. We are conducting this study by administering psilocybin to mother Sprague Dawley rats and observing their subsequent maternal interactions (licking, crouching, and retrieval). It is expected that the frequency and duration of these behaviors will increase, while their latency will decrease. Currently, data has been collected for our first of four rounds of rats, but it has yet to be fully analyzed; nevertheless, we are excited to continue the project and analyze the final results. If the desired results occur, this experiment may be a step toward recognizing psilocybin as a viable replacement for antidepressant medications during the postnatal period. As for personal significance, we believe that this research project will help us to grow in several different areas of life, including communication, teamwork, and investigation. Furthermore, the opportunity to work with rodent models and gain exposure to common behavioral neuroscience research techniques can benefit our futures in both the lab and the professional world.
Authors: Jillian Gruber, Amanda Nelson, Sarah Quinlivan, Anthony Sansone, Hunter Wells
Advisor: Matthew McMurray, Psychology
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