UC Berkeley Studies Psilocybin’s Impact on Older Adults’ Brain Health

Previous work has shown that psychedelics can reduce negative mental states like depression, anxiety, stress and rumination, and that these negative mental states may be linked with accelerated aging.

As populations age worldwide, cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease are becoming increasingly common, with significant consequences for individuals, families, and health care systems. Given this demographic shift and the rising burden of neurodegenerative disease, there is an urgent need for new strategies to promote successful aging.

The PLASTICITY study aims to determine if synthetic psilocybin can enhance brain plasticity and cognitive function in individuals aged 60 to 85, addressing a significant gap in psychedelic research. This effort reflects a structural shift toward including older populations, long overlooked despite their growing vulnerability to cognitive decline.

Utilizing functional and diffusion MRI alongside cognitive and emotional assessments, researchers measure brain activity and microstructural changes before and after dosing participants with psilocybin ranging from 1 to 30 mg. The interdisciplinary team, including doctoral student Tyler Toueg and Professors Michael Silver and William Jagust, integrates expertise in cognition, emotion, and aging. They track outcomes immediately, one week, and one month post-experience. Prior animal studies suggest psilocybin increases synaptic connections in key brain regions, but older adults have comprised only about 1.4% of subjects in past psychedelics trials.

The study design includes baseline data collection with follow-up assessments planned to evaluate enduring effects.

Montana businesses might watch this research with interest, as cognitive health is critical to workforce longevity in rural and aging communities. If psilocybin proves to promote healthy brain aging, it could influence future healthcare approaches, especially where access to traditional cognitive therapies is limited by geography or resources. Note that the original article does not mention Montana, so this section is interpretive.

Tripping into old age: Can psychedelics protect the aging brain?
By Kara Manke, Berkeley News