Psilocybin, a natural psychedelic found in mushrooms, is known to improve depression and anxiety. In a recent pilot trial in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease, the compound has further led to improvements of motor and non-motor symptoms, as well as cognitive performance in domains like paired associates learning and spatial working memory. These benefits were sustained for up to a month following drug exposure⁴. Given these promising results, a larger randomized controlled trial in a more diverse group of patients is underway, potentially opening new treatment options for Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

References

4. Bradley ER, et al. Neuropsychopharmacol. 2025;106434.