A woman in her 80s with advanced Alzheimer's disease experienced extraordinary improvements after taking psilocybin — the active compound found in so-called "magic mushrooms" — according to a new case study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience in May 2026.
The woman, a Japanese American, had been suffering from severe dementia for a decade. She could barely speak, struggled to move on her own, and depended on caregivers for everything. With permission from her legal guardians, she joined a psilocybin trial in Brazil.
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring substance found in over 200 species of mushrooms. When consumed, it can produce effects ranging from feelings of joy to hallucinations.
After receiving a 5-gram dose, the woman began sweating heavily and entered a long sleep-like state. About 19 hours later, researchers were amazed: she spontaneously started talking about her life — and kept going for several hours. In the days and weeks that followed, she walked more independently, recognised family members, regained bladder control, and was even able to dress herself.
One month later, she received a second, smaller 3-gram dose. Her improvements continued: she spoke more, moved with greater ease, and appeared noticeably more expressive and alert.
The study's authors believe psilocybin may temporarily reactivate brain function in people with late-stage dementia. Neuroscientist Dustin Hines described the results as "extraordinary," explaining that a powerful psilocybin dose could reorganise brain network activity and briefly reveal abilities that had appeared completely lost.
However, experts are careful not to get ahead of themselves. The improvements were temporary, and no long-term follow-up was conducted. This was a single case report — not proof that psilocybin reverses Alzheimer's. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved psilocybin for medical use, and experts strongly warn against trying it at home.
"The key word is 'temporarily,'" Hines emphasised. More research is urgently needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn.