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A case study suggests that taking high doses of psilocybin can temporarily and significantly alleviate symptoms of dementia.
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The patient in the late stages of the disease is suddenly able to walk on her own and recounts stories from her life: Even though this is an isolated case, a case study involving psilocybin offers hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
Improvement Thanks to Magic Mushrooms? A case study is currently making waves in dementia research. The results suggest that taking psilocybin could lead to temporary relief of symptoms, at least in some people.
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in more than 200 species of mushrooms commonly referred to as magic mushrooms. Consuming them can have various effects, ranging from euphoria to hallucinations.
In the study, the researchers now report on a woman over 80 years old with advanced Alzheimer’s disease whose symptoms improved significantly after taking a high dose of psilocybin. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia.
The woman had been suffering for years from severe cognitive impairment, chronic incontinence, limited mobility, severely impaired speech and communication skills, and difficulty swallowing. She was dependent on caregivers around the clock. With the consent of her family, the woman eventually participated in a psilocybin study in Brazil.
What the researchers now report in the journal *Frontiers of Neuroscience* is striking. After taking 5 grams of psilocybin, the woman initially began to sweat profusely and then fell into a “prolonged, sleep-like state.”
About 19 hours later, the woman “spontaneously began an autobiographical conversation lasting several hours.” Furthermore, in the days and weeks that followed, she regained urinary continence and was able to walk independently. She also appeared more alert, recognized family members, and was able to dress herself.
Alzheimer’s disease takes a massive toll on those affected and their families.
Daniel Naupold/dpa
Encouraged by the positive results, the doctors administered a second dose of psilocybin one month later, this time just three grams. The researchers reported even more pronounced verbal abilities; the woman was also more mobile and expressive.
The scientists explicitly point out that this case is merely an anecdotal observation and cannot be generalized to other patients. Nevertheless, the results suggest that psilocybin-containing mushrooms could temporarily reactivate brain function in people with late-stage dementia. However, further research is needed.
Despite decades of intensive research, treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease remain disappointing. So far, the most successful treatments have only been able to alleviate symptoms and slightly slow the progression of the disease. This is one reason why some researchers have recently been focusing more on psilocybin, which is also being studied for the treatment of depression.
“The case is remarkable because the patient apparently suffered from advanced Alzheimer’s disease, which had already been causing severe impairments for years, and then showed temporary improvements,” Dustin Hines of the University of Nevada told “Medical News Today.” He called this extraordinary.
However, he also qualifies this: “The key word is ‘temporary.’ This is a single-case report, not proof that Alzheimer’s can be reversed.”
