University of Waterloo: Mariam Malik and Her Insights

Hi everyone! I’m Mariam Malik and I am a recent graduate from the University of Waterloo, with Bachelor’s in Honours Health Sciences and Diploma in Gerontology. I am hoping to become a researcher either in health statistics or aging research. In my free time, I love reading and listening to audiobooks and I am always looking for recommendations!

Reviewed Article: Neuroplasticity and Neuro-Generation: The Promise of Psychedelics in Dementia Care by Soylemez et al.

Main Argument & Findings:

One of the main hurdles in dementia care is finding an effective treatment that is cost-effective, addresses the underlying pathology of dementia, reduces disease progression, is not resource-intensive and treats the psychological distress associated with dementia. Current treatment options are limited to at least one of these categories. Prescription medications such as N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists and cholinesterase inhibitors show efficacy in reducing symptoms associated with dementia, but do not alter the progression of the disease. Mental health medications, like antidepressants and benzodiazepines, are less resource-intensive but cause numerous adverse health reactions that hasten the progression of dementia. Behavioural therapies can reduce the psychological distress associated with dementia but are not universally effective and are resource-intensive.

However, an existing, albeit controversial, drug is being proposed as a potential treatment for dementia by targeting its underlying pathology. Psychedelics are a class of hallucinogenic drugs that changes or enhances a person’s perception, mood and cognitive processes. The most common psychedelics include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline and psilocybin (active psychedelic found in magic mushrooms). Although psychedelics are heavily stigmatized, they have real promise in treating dementia and other disorders, such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and sleep disturbances.

Psychedelics mainly act through the activation of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, which are abundantly expressed in the prefrontal cortex and brain regions involved in emotional regulation, consciousness and high order cognitive functions. The downstream effects of this activation include stimulating growth of dendritic spines (neuronal protrusions that receive synaptic signals), increasing the number of synapses and boosting the expression of neurotrophic factors (proteins that promote neuronal growth, survival and regeneration). Therefore, psychedelics have the therapeutic potential for reversing the loss of synapses in dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. There are rat models that demonstrate the benefits of psychedelics in the brain, but there are currently limited human studies.

While this treatment may seem like a scientific breakthrough, there are numerous ethical and legal obstacles for its potential adoption. In the US, psychedelics are classified as a Schedule 1 drug (drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse). Unless the effects of psychedelics are truly profound, it is unlikely that they will become widely available without regulation. In addition, the stigma surrounding psychedelics pose significant barriers to research, clinical use and acceptance in society. All in all, psychedelics have therapeutic potential in treating dementia, but more research needs to be conducted on its safety in humans and efficacy in clinical and non-clinical settings.

Importance for Youth:

This information is important for youth to acknowledge because dementia will not only affect older adults today but shape the world young people will inherit tomorrow. Understanding the limitations of current treatments helps younger generations recognize the importance of finding more effective and accessible therapies. Psychedelics, although controversial, show real promise in dementia care. Therefore, young people are in a position to push for conversations that balance the risks, benefits and ethics in an open and responsible way.

What I Learned: 

Looking into psychedelics and dementia really showed me how messy and complicated the battle between science and ethics can be. At first, psychedelics sound like a treatment on a silver platter, but there are lots of nuances under the surface. It also made me see that rather than investing millions into curating a new treatment for dementia, studying psychedelics in a careful and controlled manner could potentially save time, money and resources. However, stigma and social attitudes play a significant role in shaping what kind of science moves forward. In the end, the future of dementia won’t just depend on scientific breakthroughs, but how society decides to accept, regulate and use them.

Citations: Soylemez, K. K., de Boo, E. M., Susuzlu, A., & Lusher, J. (2025). Neuroplasticity and neuro-generation: The promise of psychedelics in dementia care. Psychoactives, 4(3), 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives4030031

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariammmalik/