Tangles, Trips, and Treatment: An Overview and Analysis of the Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease

Psychedelics are psychoactive drugs that change perception, emotion, and a number of cognitive functions. More recently, these drugs have been a major topic in research on psychiatric disorders and they have been found to have the potential in treating treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, end-of-life anxiety, and other neuropsychiatric diseases. Psychedelics have been found to be effective in these realms due to their unique therapeutic properties and biological mechanisms such as their stimulation of the 5-HT2A receptor, their possible role as immunomodulators, and their antidepressant properties. Aside from the benefits of psychedelics that have already been found, these mechanisms show compelling potential to be effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease as well. Psychedelics that are 5-HT2A receptor agonists have been found to be effective in reducing inflammation in animal models through suppression of an inflammatory cytokine that plays a major role in the neuroinflammation caused by Alzheimer’s. Psychedelics have also been shown to significantly decrease anxiety and depression among individuals with life-threatening diseases which displays immense applicability in addressing the comorbidity of Alzheimer’s and depression. Despite the potential, more research must be done and must take into consideration the safety of the specific population at hand