An 80-year-old woman who had spent years losing her memories to Alzheimer’s stunned researchers after an experimental dose of psychedelic mushrooms appeared to unlock parts of her mind the disease had buried.vAnd, for the woman’s family and caregivers, the changes were difficult to ignore.
Researchers behind a new study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience had been following an 80-year-old Japanese-American woman whose Alzheimer’s had progressively robbed her independence over the previous decade.
By the time she entered the trial, she relied heavily on caregivers, could communicate only in single syllables and had lost bladder control.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 7 million Americans and an estimated 55 million people worldwide, the Alzheimer’s Association reports.
The disease gradually erodes memory, thinking skills and independence, often leaving patients unable to recognize loved ones or perform basic daily tasks.
And, for many families, the progression feels relentless. That’s why what happened next caught researchers’ attention.
What is Alzheimer’s?
The woman was given a five-gram dose of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms. At first, the experience appeared anything but promising.
Researchers reported that she became agitated, sweated heavily and entered what they described as a prolonged sleep-like state. Then, nearly 19 hours later, something changed – she started recalling memories.
“The patient spontaneously initiated autobiographical conversation lasting several hours,” the study reports.
Results from the second session were even more remarkable: “the patient remained significantly more verbally expressive throughout the experience and described emotionally positive imagery involving surfing with her son on a peaceful island. Facial expressivity, emotional reciprocity, spontaneous humor, and gait agility appeared markedly improved.”
For a patient who had largely been communicating in single sounds and short responses, the shift was dramatic. But the surprises didn’t stop there.
‘Meaningful improvements’ continued
Over the following days, caregivers noticed improvements in several aspects of her daily life that had previously been lost to the disease.
“Several clinically meaningful improvements persisted for weeks following the first intervention, including restoration of urinary continence, improved mobility, enhanced emotional reciprocity, increased spontaneous communication, and improved contextual social interaction.”
The researchers documented a level of participation and awareness that had largely disappeared during her decline.
One month later, some of the changes, including continence, “greater verbal expressivity, improved facial mimicry, spontaneous humor and increased agility,” were still present.
The woman also continued sharing emotional memories from her past and appeared to be enjoying interactions with those around her.
“It is pleasant to come here,” she told caregivers.
Long way from a cure
For scientists studying Alzheimer’s disease, the findings raised an intriguing possibility. Rather than permanently destroying every lost ability, the disease may leave some functions inaccessible, hidden behind damaged neural pathways but not entirely erased.
If that theory proves correct, treatments capable of reconnecting those pathways could potentially help patients regain abilities long thought gone forever.
Researchers were careful not to overstate the findings. The study involved just one patient, meaning there is no way to know whether others with advanced Alzheimer’s would experience similar results.
The woman’s Alzheimer’s disease continued to progress, and the improvements appeared to fade over time, meaning the treatment cannot be viewed as a cure.
Still, the results suggest that some memories and abilities once thought permanently lost may instead remain buried and, under the right circumstances, become briefly accessible again.
Scientists are already investigating whether psilocybin could help people with early Alzheimer’s or memory-related depression.
A small study at Johns Hopkins University is among the research efforts underway, but experts say there is still very little data on how the psychedelic affects people with advanced dementia, which makes this case particularly noteworthy.
What do you think about the results of this incredible study? Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section and then share this story so we can spread the news about how treatment for Alzheimer’s is progressing!
READ MORE
- TV star shares heartbreaking symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s
- 45-year-old mom diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s sounds alarm on early symptom
