Latest news with #Neuropsychopharmacology
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
New clinical study shows promise in treating Parkinson's with drug found in magic mushrooms
Could magic mushrooms be the secret ingredient for helping patients with Parkinson's disease? Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco say that using the hallucinogenic drug psilocybin - which is found in magic mushrooms - can help to improve mood, cognition and motor symptoms for people with the degenerative movement disorder. That could be good news for the more than one million Americans living with Parkinson's. It's the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease, and the number of people who are diagnosed in the U.S. is expected to double by 2040. 'We are still in very early stages of this work, but this first study went well beyond what we expected,' Dr. Ellen Bradley, an assistant professor and associate director of UCSF's Translational Psychedelic Research Program, said in a statement. Bradley was the first author of the paper which was published earlier this month in the Nature journal Neuropsychopharmacology. Psilocybin works by entering the brain using the same receptors as serotonin, a hormone that is important for regulating mood and other brain functions. Researchers say the drug also leads to other changes in the brain, although they don't yet fully understand how all these effects may lead to improvements in symptoms. Several studies have indicated that people with Parkinson's disease have serotonin dysfunction. In the first time a psychedelic has been tested on patients with any neurodegenerative disease, participants of their research tolerated magic mushrooms without serious side effects or worsening symptoms. Psilocybin works by entering the brain u sing the same receptors – which facilitate the transfer of chemical signals from outside the brain to the inside – as serotonin, a hormone that is important for regulating mood and other brain functions. Researchers say the drug also leads to other changes in the brain, although they don't yet fully understand how all these effects may lead to improvements in symptoms. Several studies have indicated that people with Parkinson's disease have serotonin dysfunction. It was a small trial, including just seven men and five women with the neurodegenerative disease a 10 milligram dose, followed by a dose of 25 milligrams two weeks later. The patients completed eight psychotherapy sessions before and after they took the drugs, and were evaluated for any changes. Some people experienced anxiety, nausea and elevated drug pressure. But, these symptoms were not serious enough to require medical intervention. Overall, there were improvements in mood, cognition and motor symptoms at follow-up appointments after a week and a month. "Physically, I feel better than I did 2-3 years ago," Jeff Deming, one of the participants of the study, told CBS News. 'Many people don't realize this, but mood symptoms in Parkinson's are linked to a faster physical decline,' Bradley said. 'And they are actually a stronger predictor of patients' quality of life with Parkinson's than their motor symptoms.' The researchers theorized that psilocybin could provide relief from symptoms of the disease, or that feeling better could help them socialize and be more active. Now, they are conducting a larger trial, with a more diverse group of patients. They'll also incorporate the use of neuroimaging tools and noninvasive brain stimulation. With the aim of enrolling 100 participants, they are working at a second site at Yale University. Funding for the study is backed by an anonymous donor and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. 'The vast majority of brain diseases still lack interventions that change the course of illness,' Dr. Joshua Woolley, the study's senior authors and an associate professor at UCSF, explained. 'We can often treat the symptoms, but we don't alter the trajectory or prevent decline. Now, that's beginning to change. These results raise the exciting possibility that psilocybin may help the brain repair itself.'
New York Post
01-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Psychedelic ‘wonder drug' of the ‘60s can improve Parkinson's symptoms for weeks: study
Here's some groovy news. A mind-bending blast from the past — once hailed as a 'wonder drug' that could cure everything from anxiety to addiction — is making a comeback. 3 A groundbreaking study has found that a popular drug can help relieve symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Advertisement Psilocybin — the psychedelic compound that gave 'magic mushrooms' their trippy reputation in the 1960s — is now showing serious promise for improving mood and motor function in people with Parkinson's disease, according to a groundbreaking recent study. In the first trial of its kind, researchers administered a single dose of psilocybin to patients battling Parkinson's — a degenerative brain disorder that affects nearly 1 million Americans. The results? Not just a safe trip, but one that delivered weeks of relief from the tremors, stiffness and depression that often plague patients. Advertisement 'Many people don't realize this, but mood symptoms in Parkinson's are linked to a faster physical decline,' Ellen Bradley, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UC San Francisco, said in a statement. 'And they are actually a stronger predictor of patients' quality of life with Parkinson's than their motor symptoms.' The study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, indicates participants handled the hallucinogen well — there were no serious side effects or worsening symptoms — and also experienced marked boosts in mood, memory and movement that stuck around long after they stopped taking the drug. Advertisement It's also a historic first: no psychedelic has been trialed in patients with a degenerative brain disease — until now. 3 Psilocybin — the psychedelic compound that gave 'magic mushrooms' their trippy reputation in the 1960s — is now showing serious promise for improving mood and motor function in people with the disease. contentdealer – 'We are still in very early stages of this work, but this first study went well beyond what we expected,' Bradley said. There is currently no cure for Parkinson's, though drugs like levodopa can help patients manage their symptoms. The good news is that treatment options are expanding. Advertisement Tavapadon — a new drug that mimics dopamine by targeting certain receptors — has shown promise in clinical trials by reducing motor fluctuations and maintaining symptom control with fewer side effects than traditional therapies. Produodopa — a continuous infusion therapy first administered in the UK — was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration last fall. 3 'Many people don't realize this, but mood symptoms in Parkinson's are linked to a faster physical decline,' researcher Ellen Bradley said. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – Innovative approaches targeting the psychological aspects of the disease have been successful as well — with tandem cycling proving to be especially popular. Some New Yorkers even find relief by playing pingpong. 'I just can't get enough of it,' NYU economics professor Bill Easterly previously told The Post. 'When I play pingpong, I just feel my brain come alive.' Meanwhile, UCSF's Translational Psychedelic Research Program (TrPR) is planning larger trials to further investigate psilocybin's potential. Advertisement If future studies confirm these findings, magic mushrooms could become a powerful new tool in the fight against Parkinson's. 'The vast majority of brain diseases still lack interventions that change the course of illness,' said the study's senior author and TrPR director Joshua Woolley. 'We can often treat the symptoms, but we don't alter the trajectory or prevent decline. Now, that's beginning to change. These results raise the exciting possibility that psilocybin may help the brain repair itself.'
