Psychedelic demonstrates potential for enhancing mood, cognitive function and motor skills

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) believe that psilocybin - the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms - could offer meaningful relief for people living with Parkinson’s disease. According to early findings, the drug may help improve mood, cognitive function, and motor symptoms in patients with the progressive neurological disorder.

That could be welcome news for the more than one million Americans currently affected by Parkinson’s, the second-most common neurodegenerative condition after Alzheimer’s. The number of U.S. diagnoses is expected to double by 2040.

“This is still the beginning, but the results of our initial study exceeded our expectations,” said Dr Ellen Bradley, assistant professor and associate director of UCSF’s Translational Psychedelic Research Program.

Bradley is the lead author of the study, published earlier this month in Neuropsychopharmacology, a journal from Nature.

Psilocybin affects the brain by binding to serotonin receptors - specifically the same ones involved in mood regulation and other key brain processes. Scientists believe it triggers broader changes in brain activity, although they’re still working to understand exactly how those changes might ease Parkinson’s symptoms. Prior research has shown that people with Parkinson’s often have disrupted serotonin systems.

Improvements noted

Participants in the study showed noticeable improvements in mood, thinking, and motor skills when reassessed one week and again one month after treatment.

“Physically, I feel better than I did 2-3 years ago,” said Jeff Deming, one of the study participants.

“Mood symptoms in Parkinson’s are often overlooked,” Dr Bradley added. “But they’re actually linked to faster physical deterioration - and they predict quality of life even more strongly than motor symptoms.”

This study marked the first time a psychedelic drug has been tested in patients with a neurodegenerative condition. Encouragingly, participants tolerated the treatment well, with no serious side effects or worsening of symptoms.

Small by scientific standards

Twelve individuals, seven men and five women, were enrolled in the small trial. Each received a 10-milligram dose of psilocybin, followed by a 25-milligram dose two weeks later. Before and after the dosing sessions, participants underwent a total of eight psychotherapy sessions and were monitored for physical and psychological changes.

Some patients did report mild side effects like anxiety, nausea, or elevated blood pressure, but none of the symptoms required medical intervention.

Researchers suggest that psilocybin might help relieve Parkinson’s symptoms directly or that the improved mood associated with the mushrooms might simply enable patients to be more active and socially engaged, which could in turn benefit their physical health.

What's next?

A larger, more diverse trial is now underway. This expanded study will include 100 participants and incorporate neuroimaging and noninvasive brain stimulation. A second research site at Yale University is also participating. The project is being funded by an anonymous donor along with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

“There are still very few treatments that actually change the course of brain diseases,” said Dr Joshua Woolley, a senior author of the study and associate professor at UCSF. “Most therapies manage symptoms without altering the disease’s trajectory. That may finally be starting to shift. These findings suggest that psilocybin might help the brain repair itself.”