Neurocognitive Disorders
Neurocognitive disorders, including conditions like dementia and Alzheimer's disease, are characterized by a significant decline in cognitive function. Recent research suggests that psychedelics may offer potential therapeutic benefits by promoting neuronal connectivity and enhancing psychological recovery in these patients.
Key Insights
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Psychedelics may enhance neuroplasticity, which is essential for cognitive recovery in neurodegenerative conditions.
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Research indicates that psychedelics can improve mood and reduce anxiety, which are significant concerns for patients with neurocognitive disorders.
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Preliminary studies show that psychedelics may facilitate communication between different brain regions, potentially restoring disrupted neuronal connectivity.
What is Neurocognitive Disorders?
Neurocognitive disorders are a group of conditions that result in a decline of mental functions attributable to causes other than psychiatric illness. Common examples include dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and traumatic brain injuries. The pathophysiology often involves neurodegeneration and synaptic loss, leading to cognitive impairments such as memory loss, difficulty with problem-solving, and changes in behaviour or personality.
Symptoms of neurocognitive disorders can vary widely but typically manifest as forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty maintaining attention or learning new information, and impairments in judgment. As the condition progresses, individuals may also experience significant impacts on daily functioning and quality of life.
Current Treatments
Current standard-of-care treatments primarily include cognitive-enhancing medications such as cholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease, along with supportive therapies like cognitive rehabilitation and psychosocial interventions.
Psychedelic Effect Matrix
Compound efficacy and evidence levels for Neurocognitive Disorders.
| Compound | Magnitude | Evidence | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin Clinical trials have shown psilocybin's benefits in improving mental health outcomes and cognitive functions in case studies related to neurocognitive impairments. | Medium | Moderate | Consistent |
| LSD Preliminary studies suggest potential benefits, but more research is needed to confirm consistent effects on neurocognitive disorders. | Medium | Moderate | Inconsistent |
| MDMA Promising results from trials indicate MDMA's capacity to alleviate symptoms of trauma, which can be beneficial to cognitive function recovery post-injury. | Medium | Moderate | Consistent |
Psilocybin and Neurocognitive Disorders
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound, has been shown to promote neuroplasticity and enhance mood. Its ability to facilitate emotional processing might aid individuals suffering from mood-related symptoms associated with neurocognitive disorders. The restoration of cognitive functions may stem from its action on serotonin receptors, ultimately leading to improved neuronal connectivity.
LSD and Neurocognitive Disorders
LSD acts as a non-specific agonist of serotonin receptors, which may result in enhanced synaptic connections and neuroplasticity. Though research is in preliminary phases regarding its efficacy for neurocognitive disorders, the potential for LSD to foster new learning pathways could be a valuable asset in cognitive rehabilitation strategies for patients.
Clinical Outlook
Future studies focusing on the application of psychedelics in neurocognitive disorders hold significant promise. With ongoing research and clinical trials, the efficacy and safety of compounds such as psilocybin and MDMA in these populations could lead to novel treatment avenues that complement existing therapies, improving patient outcomes and quality of life.
Industrial Landscape
Key stakeholders in the research of neurocognitive disorders include academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and non-profit organisations dedicated to brain health, such as the Alzheimer's Association and MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies).
Quick Indicators
Organisations
Search →Restart Life Sciences
Canadian biotech (formerly Nova Mentis Life Science, renamed November 2024) developing psilocybin therapy for Fragile X Syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. Lead candidate NM-1001 received Health Canada authorisation for a Phase IIA clinical trial, making it one of the few psilocybin programmes targeting neurodevelopmental conditions.
PharmaTher
Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company focused on ketamine-based therapies for psychiatric and neurological conditions. KETARX™ (racemic ketamine IV) received FDA approval in August 2025, making PharmaTher one of the first Canadian companies to achieve US regulatory approval for a ketamine product. Also developing KETABET, a proprietary combination of ketamine and betaine.
University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is one of the Netherlands' leading research universities, with its Amsterdam UMC Department of Psychiatry conducting clinical trials on psilocybin and psychedelic-assisted therapies for treatment-resistant mental health conditions.
Ketamine Research Institute
The Ketamine Research Institute is a US-based clinical research organization developing precision medicine approaches to ketamine infusion therapy, studying optimized dosing protocols to treat depression and offering clinician training in evidence-based ketamine practice.
Columbia University
Research with psychedelics has been taking place at Columbia University in New York since 2014. Researchers from various departments at the university including Medicine, Psychology and Psychiatry have conducted numerous trials investigating the effects ketamine has on substance use disorders. Some research exploring the anti-depressant effects of ketamine has also taken place. More recently, Columbia University served as a test site for COMPASS Pathway's COMP360 trial which explored the effects of psilocybin on treatment-resistant depression. Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Dr David Hellerstein served as the principal investigator at this study site.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital, located in Toronto, Ontario. CAMH is a major hub for psychedelic research in Canada, running trials on psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine across a range of psychiatric indications.
Biomind Labs
Biomind Labs (NEO: BMND) is a Canadian clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing inhaled DMT, sublingual 5-MeO-DMT, and mescaline-class compounds across TRD, Alzheimer's-related depression, obesity/neuroinflammation, and Parkinson's disease. Founded in 2019 and publicly listed via RTO in July 2021, the company's clinical work is primarily conducted in Brazil (UFRN, PI Prof. Dráulio de Araujo) and Argentina (Dr. Martin Bruno). Their BMND08 (sublingual 5-MeO-DMT for Alzheimer's depression) achieved a 100% remission rate in a Phase 2 RCT at subpsychedelic doses (February 2024) and is now advancing to FDA-directed Phase 3 via a proprietary nano-formulation platform with FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation planned. BMND01 (inhaled DMT) is in Phase 2 for TRD with the unique advantage of a ~10-minute experience duration vs hours for psilocybin or LSD. Note: master list originally classified as private, but is publicly listed on NEO/CBOE.
Usona Institute
Usona Institute is a US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit medical research organisation (MRO) headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. Co-founded in 2014 by Bill Linton (CEO of Promega Corporation) and Malynn Utzinger, M.D., Usona was established after Linton witnessed the profound impact of a Johns Hopkins psilocybin study on a terminally ill friend. Unlike commercial drug developers, Usona operates as a mission-driven MRO — conducting and supporting pre-clinical and clinical research on psilocybin and other consciousness-expanding medicines, with the goal of developing accessible, affordable treatments. Its research leadership includes Dr. Charles Raison (Director of Clinical and Translational Research, UW-Madison psychiatrist) and Dr. Alexander Sherwood (medicinal chemist). Usona's psilocybin programme received FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for major depressive disorder in 2019. After completing the Phase 2 PSIL201 study (the largest Phase 2 randomised controlled trial of psilocybin for MDD at the time), the Institute launched the Phase 3 uAspire trial in 2024 — a 240-participant, randomised, double-blind, multicentre study comparing 25 mg psilocybin vs placebo in adults with MDD. Usona is also exploring 5-MeO-DMT in early-stage research.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is a leading US academic medical institution home to the Parsons Research Center for Psychedelic Healing, which runs rigorous clinical trials of MDMA- and psilocybin-assisted therapies for PTSD and trauma in veteran and civilian populations.
University of Arizona
Although the University of Arizona may not have a dedicated psychedelic research group, one of the first modern clinical trials investigating the use of psychedelics to treat a mental disorder was conducted at the University. In 2006, Dr Francisco Moreno led the first FDA-approved study in 25 years using psychedelics at UA. The study examined the use of psilocybin to treat symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Since then, researchers within the Department of Psychiatry at UA have maintained their interest in the field. Dr Moreno, along with Dr Brian Bayze and their research group, is continuing to conduct research into this particular area of psychedelic science at UA ever since the 2006 trial. There is a trial underway at UA exploring the effects of psilocybin on OCD.
Johns Hopkins University
The Centre for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research focuses on how psychedelics affect behavior, cognition, brain function, and biological health markers. They have been at the forefront of demonstrating the safety and efficacy of psychedelics for mental disorders, expanding their focus into psilocybin research across multiple mental health conditions, including smoking cessation, major depressive disorder, and cancer-related anxiety.
Yale University
In 2016, the 'Yale Psychedelic Science Group' was established as a forum where clinicians and scholars from across Yale can learn about and discuss the rapidly re-emerging field of psychedelic science and therapeutics in an academically rigorous manner. Research with psychedelics is also underway at Yale School of Medicine. A recent study at the university found that a single dose of psilocybin can cause structural changes in the brain that counteract symptoms of depression.
People
Search →Federico Cavanna
Researcher in psychedelic science / neuroscientific researcher (exact current title not confidently verified)
He is a coauthor on multiple widely cited studies on psilocybin microdosing, DMT, and psychedelic use, helping characterize subjective, behavioral, and cognitive effects of psychedelics.
Hartej Gill
Researcher in mood disorders psychopharmacology at the University of Toronto / University Health Network
Notable for coauthoring multiple reviews and meta-analyses on ketamine, esketamine, suicidality, cognition, and psychedelic drug trials in psychiatric research.
Attila Szabo
Researcher in psychoneuroimmunology and psychedelic science; affiliated with the University of Oslo
He is a notable contributor to psychedelic immunology research, including widely cited work on DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, psilocybin, and immune modulation.
Jeanine Kamphuis
Psychiatrist and researcher at the Department for Mood Disorders, University Hospital Groningen (UMCG)
She studies ketamine, esketamine, and classic psychedelics for treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders, including depression, and is a coauthor on multiple psychedelic/ketamine reviews and clinical studies.
Kayla Teopiz
Researcher in psychiatry and ketamine/psychedelic medicine research; likely affiliated with the University of Toronto/Trillium Health Partners research network
Teopiz coauthors multiple systematic reviews and clinical studies on ketamine, esketamine, and psilocybin in depression and suicidality, helping synthesize the evidence base for psychedelic and glutamatergic treatments in psychiatry.
Michiel Van Elk
Associate Professor of Cognitive Psychology at Leiden University
Michiel van Elk is a prominent psychedelic science researcher known for rigorous, skeptical work on psilocybin, microdosing, expectancy effects, and the psychological mechanisms and risks of psychedelic experiences.
Jolien Veraart
Psychiatrist and PhD researcher at the University Medical Center Groningen / University of Groningen
She is a leading clinical researcher on ketamine and oral esketamine for treatment-resistant depression, including safety, efficacy, and real-world implementation.
Laura Alethia de la Fuente
Postdoctoral researcher in neuroscience at CONICET / Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires (IFIBA-UBA)
She co-authored several notable human psychedelic studies on psilocybin microdosing, DMT, and acute psilocybin effects, contributing both behavioral and neurophysiological evidence in the field.
Bing Cao
PhD researcher at the Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University
He is a recurring coauthor on multiple ketamine and psychedelic-adjacent systematic reviews and mechanistic studies, making him a visible contributor to contemporary rapid-acting antidepressant research.
Adam Winstock
Professor of Addiction Medicine; Consultant Psychiatrist and Founder/Director of Global Drug Survey
A leading figure in global survey-based research on psychedelics, club drugs, and substance use patterns, with widely cited work informing harm reduction and public health.
Marcelo Falchi
Psychiatrist, Professor of Medicine at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), and Medical Director at the Center for Advanced Psychedelic Medicine (CAMP)
He is a Brazilian psychiatrist and psychedelic-science researcher involved in pioneering LSD and DMT clinical studies, including work on cognition, creativity, language, and inhaled DMT safety.
Dalibor Sames
Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University
He is a leading medicinal/organic chemist whose group has helped define the pharmacology and synthetic development of ibogaine and iboga analogs in psychedelic and neurotherapeutic research.
Connected Evidence
The latest clinical data and verified academic findings associated with Neurocognitive Disorders.