ALSUntangled #77: Psilocybin

Bhavya Bakshi; Sandeep Yerraguntla; Carmel Armon; Paul Barkhaus; Tulio Bertorini; Robert Bowser; Sarah Breevoort; Mark Bromberg; Andrew Brown; Gregory T. Carter; Vincent Chang; Jesse Crayle; Timothy Fullam; Maxwell Greene; Terry Heiman-Patterson; Carlayne Jackson; Sartaj Jhooty; Elise Mallon; Javier Mascias Cadavid; Christopher J. Mcdermott; Gary Pattee; Kaitlyn Pierce; Dylan Ratner; Yuyao Sun; Olivia Wang; Paul Wicks; Martina Wiedau; Richard Bedlack

doi:10.1080/21678421.2024.2441274

ALSUntangled #77: Psilocybin

Bhavya Bakshi
, Sandeep Yerraguntla
, Carmel Armon
, Paul Barkhaus
, Tulio Bertorini
, Robert Bowser
, Sarah Breevoort
, Mark Bromberg
, Andrew Brown
, Gregory T. Carter
, Vincent Chang
, Jesse Crayle
, Timothy Fullam
, Maxwell Greene
, Terry Heiman-Patterson
, Carlayne Jackson
, Sartaj Jhooty
, Elise Mallon
, Javier Mascias Cadavid
, Christopher J. Mcdermott

Gary Pattee, Kaitlyn Pierce, Dylan Ratner, Yuyao Sun, Olivia Wang, Paul Wicks, Martina Wiedau, Richard Bedlack

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

ALSUntangled reviews alternate and off-label treatments prompted by patient interest. Here, we review psilocybin, a chemical derived from mushrooms and belonging in the category of drugs known as psychedelics. Psilocybin has plausible mechanisms for slowing ALS progression because of its ability to cross the blood brain barrier and effect neurogenesis and inflammation. Currently, there are no pre-clinical ALS models, case reports, or trials for psilocybin and ALS in the context of disease modifying therapy. Depending on dosing, there can be a high risk of psychological side effects including hallucinations and physical harm. Based on the above information, we do not currently support the use of psilocybin as a means to slow ALS progression.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	385-388
Number of pages	4
Journal	Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration
Volume	26
Issue number	3-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/21678421.2024.2441274
State	Published - 2025

Keywords

Psilocybin
inflammation
neurogenesis
psychedelics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Neurology
Clinical Neurology

Access to Document

10.1080/21678421.2024.2441274

Cite this

Bakshi, B., Yerraguntla, S., Armon, C., Barkhaus, P., Bertorini, T., Bowser, R., Breevoort, S., Bromberg, M., Brown, A., Carter, G. T., Chang, V., Crayle, J., Fullam, T., Greene, M., Heiman-Patterson, T., Jackson, C., Jhooty, S., Mallon, E., Cadavid, J. M., ... Bedlack, R. (2025). ALSUntangled #77: Psilocybin. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 26(3-4), 385-388. https://doi.org/10.1080/21678421.2024.2441274

Bakshi, B, Yerraguntla, S, Armon, C, Barkhaus, P, Bertorini, T, Bowser, R, Breevoort, S, Bromberg, M, Brown, A, Carter, GT, Chang, V, Crayle, J, Fullam, T, Greene, M, Heiman-Patterson, T, Jackson, C, Jhooty, S, Mallon, E, Cadavid, JM, Mcdermott, CJ, Pattee, G, Pierce, K, Ratner, D, Sun, Y, Wang, O, Wicks, P, Wiedau, M & Bedlack, R 2025, 'ALSUntangled #77: Psilocybin', Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, vol. 26, no. 3-4, pp. 385-388. https://doi.org/10.1080/21678421.2024.2441274

@article{b456f76bee6745ecad1f27b64f205051,

title = "ALSUntangled \#77: Psilocybin",

abstract = "ALSUntangled reviews alternate and off-label treatments prompted by patient interest. Here, we review psilocybin, a chemical derived from mushrooms and belonging in the category of drugs known as psychedelics. Psilocybin has plausible mechanisms for slowing ALS progression because of its ability to cross the blood brain barrier and effect neurogenesis and inflammation. Currently, there are no pre-clinical ALS models, case reports, or trials for psilocybin and ALS in the context of disease modifying therapy. Depending on dosing, there can be a high risk of psychological side effects including hallucinations and physical harm. Based on the above information, we do not currently support the use of psilocybin as a means to slow ALS progression.",

keywords = "Psilocybin, inflammation, neurogenesis, psychedelics",

author = "Bhavya Bakshi and Sandeep Yerraguntla and Carmel Armon and Paul Barkhaus and Tulio Bertorini and Robert Bowser and Sarah Breevoort and Mark Bromberg and Andrew Brown and Carter, \{Gregory T.\} and Vincent Chang and Jesse Crayle and Timothy Fullam and Maxwell Greene and Terry Heiman-Patterson and Carlayne Jackson and Sartaj Jhooty and Elise Mallon and Cadavid, \{Javier Mascias\} and Mcdermott, \{Christopher J.\} and Gary Pattee and Kaitlyn Pierce and Dylan Ratner and Yuyao Sun and Olivia Wang and Paul Wicks and Martina Wiedau and Richard Bedlack",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 World Federation of Neurology on behalf of the Research Group on Motor Neuron Diseases.",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1080/21678421.2024.2441274",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "26",

pages = "385--388",

journal = "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration",

issn = "2167-8421",

publisher = "Taylor and Francis Ltd.",

number = "3-4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - ALSUntangled #77

T2 - Psilocybin

AU - Bakshi, Bhavya

AU - Yerraguntla, Sandeep

AU - Armon, Carmel

AU - Barkhaus, Paul

AU - Bertorini, Tulio

AU - Bowser, Robert

AU - Breevoort, Sarah

AU - Bromberg, Mark

AU - Brown, Andrew

AU - Carter, Gregory T.

AU - Chang, Vincent

AU - Crayle, Jesse

AU - Fullam, Timothy

AU - Greene, Maxwell

AU - Heiman-Patterson, Terry

AU - Jackson, Carlayne

AU - Jhooty, Sartaj

AU - Mallon, Elise

AU - Cadavid, Javier Mascias

AU - Mcdermott, Christopher J.

AU - Pattee, Gary

AU - Pierce, Kaitlyn

AU - Ratner, Dylan

AU - Sun, Yuyao

AU - Wang, Olivia

AU - Wicks, Paul

AU - Wiedau, Martina

AU - Bedlack, Richard

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - ALSUntangled reviews alternate and off-label treatments prompted by patient interest. Here, we review psilocybin, a chemical derived from mushrooms and belonging in the category of drugs known as psychedelics. Psilocybin has plausible mechanisms for slowing ALS progression because of its ability to cross the blood brain barrier and effect neurogenesis and inflammation. Currently, there are no pre-clinical ALS models, case reports, or trials for psilocybin and ALS in the context of disease modifying therapy. Depending on dosing, there can be a high risk of psychological side effects including hallucinations and physical harm. Based on the above information, we do not currently support the use of psilocybin as a means to slow ALS progression.

AB - ALSUntangled reviews alternate and off-label treatments prompted by patient interest. Here, we review psilocybin, a chemical derived from mushrooms and belonging in the category of drugs known as psychedelics. Psilocybin has plausible mechanisms for slowing ALS progression because of its ability to cross the blood brain barrier and effect neurogenesis and inflammation. Currently, there are no pre-clinical ALS models, case reports, or trials for psilocybin and ALS in the context of disease modifying therapy. Depending on dosing, there can be a high risk of psychological side effects including hallucinations and physical harm. Based on the above information, we do not currently support the use of psilocybin as a means to slow ALS progression.

KW - Psilocybin

KW - inflammation

KW - neurogenesis

KW - psychedelics

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85212684507

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85212684507#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1080/21678421.2024.2441274

DO - 10.1080/21678421.2024.2441274

M3 - Article

C2 - 39709547

AN - SCOPUS:85212684507

SN - 2167-8421

VL - 26

SP - 385

EP - 388

JO - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration

JF - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration

IS - 3-4

ER -

ALSUntangled #77: Psilocybin

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this