A report published in Frontiers in Neuroscience documents how a woman with advanced Alzheimer’s showed significant improvements in her brain function after two sessions of mushrooms containing psilocybin.
The patient, a Japanese American woman, had lived with Alzheimer’s disease for approximately ten years and had experienced significant functional decline for five years prior to treatment.
The woman received two doses of psilocybin: one of 5 grams, followed by another of 3 grams a month later. Immediate effects, such as intense sweating and a prolonged sleep state, were observed after the first dose.
Approximately 19 hours later, the patient “spontaneously initiated an autobiographical conversation that lasted several hours,” the researchers wrote, they reported. Fox Information Digital.
Cognitive and functional improvements
After administering psilocybin, the patient began to engage in autobiographical conversations, showed recovery of urinary continence, increased her ability to walk, and was more communicative.
Despite the improvements, the study lacks a management group and did not use standardized evaluation methods, which limits the generalizability of the results.
Expert Considerations
Experts caution that although the findings are intriguing, more research is required to confirm the safety and effectiveness of psilocybin in Alzheimer’s patients.
Several states have moved forward in regulating the use of psilocybin, although it remains illegal at the federal level in the US.
Despite this, there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for Alzheimer’s based on this substance.
“Much more research is needed in larger, more representative study populations before conclusions can be drawn about the safety and effectiveness of psilocybin in people living with Alzheimer’s or any other disease dwelling off dementia,” Courtney Kloske, Ph.D., director of scientific engagement at the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, told Fox Information Digital.
Contraindications or side effects of psilocybin
Psilocybin has temporary physical and psychological side effectsand it is contraindicated in people with certain psychiatric disorders.
Common side effects (short-term, usually dissipate within 48 hours):
- Physicists. Nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, muscle weakness, drowsiness, lack of coordination, dilated pupils.
- Cardiovascular. Increased blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature.
- Psychological. Anxiety, panic attacks, paranoia, nervousness, distorted perception of time/space.
Main contraindications
Psilocybin can trigger psychotic episodes in certain patients, so it is contraindicated for:
- People with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
- People with history of psychotic episodes
- People with serious psychiatric disorders unsupervised
Important risks:
- Flashbacks. Recurring memories of the trip that may occur days or months later.
- Prolonged psychosis. An excessive dose can trigger a long-lasting mental condition.
- Suicide risk. It is not yet clear whether it has the same risk as standard antidepressants (increased suicidal thoughts in young adults).
- poisonous mushrooms. Buying mushrooms is risky because some species are highly poisonous and can kill.
KEYNOTE: Side effects were temporary in supervised therapeutic use studies, but long-term effects unknown. The use must be under the supervision of a therapist to avoid “bad trips”.
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