Perspectives on Psychedelic Substances in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

By Livia Gotto

The resurgence of psychedelic science has opened up new pathways for the treatment of various mental health conditions. These substances are molecules similar to serotonin, but they act in the brain producing alterations in consciousness. Recent clinical studies, still with a limited number of participants, have shown positive results in the treatment of depression and terminal anxiety.

One of the therapies that is closest to being approved with a substance prohibited by the illegal substances control act is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), better known as Ecstasy, which is expected to be approved for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Still, the extent to which therapy based on psychedelic compounds can be applied has only just begun to be unraveled. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for about 60-70% of cases. The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease increases with age, exceeding 30% of incidence in people over 85 years old. With the increase in life expectancy, we will have more people living with this condition.

Currently, more than 55 million people have dementia worldwide, with over 60% of them living in low- and middle-income countries. Nearly 10 million new cases emerge each year.

In Alzheimer's disease, there is severe impairment in memory, speech, object recognition, and executive functions related to visuospatial processing. In the brain, there is the deposition of β-amyloid and the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles containing the Tau protein in neurons. There is also neuroinflammation and loss of neuronal network integrity, culminating in neuronal death.

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