Psilocybin for dementia prevention? The potential role of psilocybin to alter mechanisms associated with major depression and neurodegenerative diseases
Pharmacology & Therapeutics April 6, 2024 Zarah R. Haniff, Mariia Bocharova, Tim Mantingh et al. 16 citations
Major depression increases the risk of later dementia, and late-life depression may be an early sign of dementia. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN), the lifelong birth of new neurons in the dentate gyrus, supports learning, memory, and mood. Microglia, the brain's immune cells, regulate AHN, and disruptions in AHN and microgliosis are linked to both depression and neurodegenerative diseases. Psychedelics like psilocybin, a serotonergic agonist with rapid antidepressant effects, may promote neuroplasticity and modulate microglial function. This narrative review examines evidence that psilocybin could affect AHN and microglia, potentially altering the progression from major depression to dementia in at-risk individuals.