Beyond the high

Key insights:

Psilocybin is a type of psychedelic-assisted therapy that may be used to improve symptoms related to the progression of dementia.

Neuroplasticity is a core component of psilocybin’s therapeutic benefits, allowing the brain to develop newer and stronger neural connections.

Research is limited and the drug remains federally illegal. However, psilocybin therapy is decriminalized in Colorado and Oregon, and New Mexico is also creating a pathway to decriminalize it.

Beyond the high: Alternative therapy for Alzheimers

Whether you know them as shrooms, boomers, or zoomers, "magic mushrooms” are having a moment, but not for the reasons you might expect.

Far from the party scene, scientists are exploring the therapeutic potential of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound that gives mushrooms their brain-altering ‘magic.’ ✨

Early research indicates that psilocybin may be used to treat or manage a range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Psilocybin and Alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s disease is the primary form of dementia and a leading cause of age-related death. It is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta peptides and the build-up of tau proteins, which form tangles inside neurons and disrupt vital connections that allow our brain to function.

There is no cure to Alzheimer’s disease, but scientists are exploring psilocybin as a potential treatment option.

Research on mushrooms began around the 1960s. This was a time when the American counterculture was using them “as catalysts for radical thinking and social change,” writes Rolling Stone.

But aversion to the counterculture led to the War on Drugs, a political movement in the early 1970’s that halted research on (and the use of) mushrooms for the next 20 years, writes Clemson University. However, research was well underway by the 1990s.

What science has uncovered is that, similar to other neurological conditions (i.e., depression), psilocybin significantly boosts neuroplasticity and can create beneficial changes in the brain.

The power of neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s innate ability to change and adapt to different experiences. “When we learn something new, we create new connections between our neurons,” explains Positive Psychology.

💬 Neurons are cells that drive communication between the brain and body.

Positive Psychology writes that neuroplasticity, which allows us to rewire and adapt to new experiences, is “also something that we can encourage and stimulate.”

Psilocybin encourages neuroplasticity.

Following brain damage, neuroplasticity helps healthy areas of the brain to compensate for areas of the brain which have been damaged by disease, write authors in a 2020 study published in Nature. ⚖️

This is why it might be an effective tool to manage Alzheimer’s disease.

Neuroplasticity essentially works to:

• Help neurons form long-lasting new connections (synapses)

• Strengthen existing communication pathways between neurons 💪

• Get rid of weak synapses

Neuroplasticity can sometimes even help to create new neurons, writes verywellmind.

These adaptability features in our brain might explains why psilocybin has the unique ability to make the brain “unstuck,” says former NHL player and alternative therapy advocate Daniel Carcillo at the recent Livelong Experience.

Moreso, the drug might even eradicate some of the physical damage caused by neurological conditions.❌

In one Northeastern study, mice with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) who received psilocybin were found to have no lingering signs of brain damage or tau protein (a key cause of Alzheimer’s), explains Carcillo at Livelong.

Similarly, improving neuroplasticity may:

• Delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease progression

• Delay age-related cognitive decline

• Improve mood and symptoms of traumatic brain injury, psychological disorder, and neurodegenerative disease

Beyond neuroplasticity, psilocybin acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory that protects against brain damage.

Lower inflammation

Neuro (brain) inflammation significantly contributes to Alzheimer’s disease and disease progression.

By activating a serotonin receptor called 5-HT2A, psilocybin might be able to reduce disease-promoting inflammation and improve the immune system.

That’s because serotonin receptors binding to serotonin (the ‘feel-good’ chemical), along with other neurotransmitters, can trigger cellular responses that are linked with lower inflammation.

• Johns Hopkins researchers also found that low levels of ‘feel-good’ serotonin can influence the progress of Alzheimer’s disease, as serotonin can prevent amyloid-beta deposits.

5-HT2A activation can also halt the production of molecules that cause inflammation and reduce levels of inflammatory cytokines (signaling proteins that regulate inflammation).

Not only does 5-HT2A mitigate inflammation, it can promote “creativity, cognitive flexibility, and emotional facial recognition,” which are skills that the disease normally takes away, according to a 2024 paper published in Frontiers in Neuroscience.

The alternative therapy landscape

Strict federal regulations severely limit access to this therapy, but an uptick in research might help to expand its use.

Legal status: The U.S. government recognizes psilocybin as a Schedule I controlled substance that has no accepted medical use to treat any conditions, although the research suggests otherwise.

Confusingly, psilocybin is federally illegal but decriminalized in certain states. As of April 7, 2025, New Mexico became the third U.S. state to decriminalize psilocybin, following Colorado and Oregon.

FDA status: The FDA has designated psilocybin a “breakthrough therapy” for mental health conditions including depression and PTSD, writes Reason Foundation. If it gets this recognition for Alzheimer's and dementia, it could allow more funding to go to research and improve access to a wider audience.

The science and stigma: ⚠️ “the War on Drugs did a really good job of making people dismiss this right away, it’s so heavily stigmatized,” Carcillo tells Fast Company in an interview.

But Carcillo himself used psychedelic-assisted therapy for early-onset dementia symptoms that were caused by various concussions and brain injuries, and psilocybin reversed his diagnosis and all signs of early brain aging. 

He and other pioneers are founding companies to fund more research and bring psychedelic-assisted therapy mainstream.

The Setting: Psilocybin therapy should be done in a controlled setting with a therapist to guide the user through, as there are risks of scary hallucinations, depersonalization (feelings of unreality), dizziness, paranoia, confusion, and intense emotions.

Who should avoid psilocybin? People who are pregnant, or individuals with a family (or personal) history of schizophrenia, psychosis, and those who struggle with substance abuse.

What other conditions could it benefit?

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Obsessive thoughts

• PTSD

• Cancer-related anxiety

• Chronic pain

• and more…

Put it all together

By boosting neuroplasticity, reducing inflammation, and alleviating other emotional symptoms, psilocybin may help to manage dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, though more research is needed.

Continue the conversation

MICRODOSED: Is microdosing the next wellness trend, or placebo?

DENVER’S HEALING: The city of Denver is set to launch its first psilocybin healing center.

Until next time,

Erin

_{The information provided about wellness items and beverages is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Drug interactions may occur, so talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.}

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