As life expectancy continues to rise, scientists are increasingly focused on a different question: how can we age well?
While modern medicine has helped people live longer, age-related cognitive decline, memory loss and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease remain significant challenges. Researchers at UC Berkeley are now investigating whether psilocybin, the naturally occurring compound found in certain mushroom species, could play a role in supporting healthy brain ageing.
A First-Of-Its-Kind Study
The Berkeley Centre for the Science of Psychedelics has launched the PLASTICITY study, a groundbreaking project designed to explore how psilocybin affects the ageing brain. The research focuses on adults aged 60 to 85 and uses advanced brain imaging alongside cognitive assessments to measure changes before and after a psilocybin experience.
The goal is simple but ambitious: to determine whether psilocybin can enhance neuroplasticity in older adults.
What Is Neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt, reorganise and form new neural connections throughout life.
When we’re young, the brain is highly adaptable. As we age, this flexibility gradually declines, making it harder to learn new skills, recover from injury and maintain cognitive performance.
Many researchers believe that preserving or enhancing neuroplasticity could be key to maintaining cognitive health later in life.
Why Are Scientists Interested In Psilocybin?
Previous research has shown that psilocybin may temporarily increase communication between different brain regions and encourage greater neural flexibility. Studies have also observed lasting changes in brain activity and psychological wellbeing following a single guided experience.
Researchers hope that these effects may extend beyond mental health applications and potentially support healthy ageing.
The Berkeley team is specifically investigating whether psilocybin may help older brains maintain adaptability, resilience and cognitive function as people age.
Could Psychedelics Help Protect The Ageing Brain?
At this stage, nobody knows for certain.
The PLASTICITY study is designed to answer exactly that question. While early evidence surrounding neuroplasticity is promising, much more research is needed before any conclusions can be drawn about preventing cognitive decline or neurodegenerative disease.
Scientists are approaching the topic carefully and emphasise that this research is exploratory.
Why This Matters
With populations ageing worldwide, the search for new approaches to maintaining brain health has never been more important.
Whether psilocybin ultimately proves to be part of that solution remains to be seen. What is clear is that research into psychedelics continues to move beyond mental health and into broader questions about how the brain changes throughout life.
The results of studies like PLASTICITY could help us better understand not only ageing, but the remarkable ability of the human brain to adapt and change.
Final Thoughts
The idea that a naturally occurring compound could help support healthy brain ageing is certainly intriguing. While it’s still early days, the launch of this study highlights how psychedelic research is continuing to evolve and explore new frontiers in neuroscience.
As always, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the science and sharing new developments as they emerge.
For microscopy and research discussion purposes only. This article is intended to discuss published scientific research and should not be interpreted as medical advice.
Researchers have published the results of a new randomised clinical trial investigating whether psilocybin-assisted therapy could help people living with cocaine use disorder.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, adds to a growing body of research exploring the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapies for a range of mental health and behavioural conditions.
Why Is Cocaine Use Disorder Difficult To Treat?
Cocaine use disorder affects millions of people worldwide and can be challenging to overcome. Unlike some other substance use disorders, there are currently no approved medications specifically designed to treat cocaine addiction.
As a result, researchers continue to investigate new approaches that may help people reduce or stop cocaine use and maintain long-term recovery.
What Did The Study Investigate?
Researchers conducted a randomised clinical trial involving adults diagnosed with cocaine use disorder.
Participants received either:
- Psilocybin-assisted therapy
- Placebo-assisted therapy
Both groups also received structured psychotherapy throughout the study.
This is an important detail, as the researchers were investigating psilocybin as part of a therapeutic programme rather than as a standalone intervention.
What Were The Results?
The study found that participants who received psilocybin-assisted therapy achieved higher rates of cocaine abstinence compared with those who received placebo-assisted therapy.
The findings suggest that psilocybin may have the potential to support recovery when used alongside professional psychological support.
However, the researchers emphasised that larger studies will be needed to confirm these findings and better understand the long-term benefits and risks.
How Might Psilocybin Help?
Scientists are still working to understand exactly how psilocybin may influence behaviour change.
Previous research has shown that psilocybin can affect brain networks involved in learning, self-reflection and behavioural flexibility. Researchers believe these effects may help some individuals break established patterns of thought and behaviour while engaging more effectively with psychotherapy.
The psychological experience itself may also provide opportunities for personal insight and reflection that support lasting change.
Important Limitations
While the results are encouraging, they should be interpreted carefully.
This was a controlled clinical trial conducted under medical supervision with psychological support provided throughout the process.
The findings do not mean that psilocybin is an approved treatment for cocaine addiction, nor do they suggest that self-treatment is safe or effective.
Further research involving larger numbers of participants will be necessary before researchers can determine whether psilocybin-assisted therapy could become part of future treatment options for cocaine use disorder.
What Does This Mean For Psychedelic Research?
Over the last decade, interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies has grown rapidly.
Researchers are currently investigating psilocybin’s potential role in conditions including depression, PTSD, alcohol use disorder, tobacco addiction and substance use disorders.
This latest study provides another example of how scientists are exploring the possible therapeutic applications of psychedelic compounds within carefully controlled clinical settings.
While many questions remain unanswered, the findings contribute to an expanding field of research seeking new ways to address some of society’s most challenging health conditions.
Source
Rapoport AB, Dakwar E, Mahoney JJ III, et al. Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Cocaine Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open. 2026.
