The initial clinical study investigating whether the compound from magic mushrooms might aid in treating Parkinson's disease has demonstrated encouraging outcomes.
This represents the initial instance of a psychedelic substance being evaluated on people suffering from a neurodegenerative condition.
Parkinson's disease, which is an irreversible neurological condition resulting from the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, gradually causes problems with movement and speech that become more severe as the illness progresses.
In a groundbreaking new study, each of the 12 participants, who had mild to moderate Parkinson's disease and were around 63 years old on average, experienced enhancements in their mood, cognitive abilities, and motor functions. These positive effects persisted for several months.
Alongside psychotherapy, participants were given a 10mg dose of psilocybin followed by 25mg two weeks later.
While side effects of nausea, anxiety and elevated blood pressure were noted at the follow-up appointments after the dosing sessions, none of these required medical attention.
Given that no obvious signs of harm were noted, a larger trial involving up to 100 more patients has also been approved, with the study's lead author, Dr Ellen Bradley, of the University of California in San Francisco, telling The Times the outcomes were 'far surpassing our expectations'.
Dr. Bradley also mentioned that although it was surprising to see improvements in both motor functions and cognitive abilities, these observations remained as "preliminary findings." He emphasized that drawing definitive conclusions at this stage would be premature.
Potential explanations for the advantages of magic mushrooms might involve their capacity to influence brain inflammation, thereby promoting neuroplasticity—the brain’s potential to rearrange and form new neural pathways.
Summarizing the findings, which indicated no 'severe adverse effects' even at high doses of psilocybin as 'extremely promising,' Dr. Bradley expressed that the 'soothing results' enable them to proceed with a more extensive study of the psychedelic substance.
The researcher likewise stays optimistic that this will aid the continuing effort to develop additional treatments for Parkinson's disease, which presently impacts up to 153,000 individuals throughout the UK.
It is expected that this number will increase to approximately 172,000 by 2030 due to population expansion and aging, making Parkinson’s the quickest expanding neurologic disorder globally.
It impacts individuals like actor Michael J. Fox from "Back to the Future," aged 63, who recently disclosed that he plans to make a remarkable comeback to acting following almost three decades of living with Parkinson's disease. surging across the US.
Having been diagnosed at just 29 years old, Mr Fox managed to hide his disease from the public eye for seven years, before he began appearing on screen less often as he had more trouble walking, talking and controlling tremors.
Discussing the "highly promising subsequent phase," Dr. Bradley stated, "This expanded study will allow us to assess the efficacy of psilocybin treatment for individuals suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, we aim to gather comprehensive biological information—including data from neural stimulation, scans, and blood samples—that will aid in understanding precisely how psilocybin influences various facets of Parkinson's."
The upcoming trial will be supported financially by an unnamed benefactor as well as the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
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