In brief
- Berkeley announced PLASTICITY as a neuroimaging study in healthy older adults using psilocybin; historical priority is an institutional description, not an independent review of all research.
- The study administers a single synthetic dose, ranging from 1 to 30 mg, to adults aged 60 to 85, comparing brain changes via MRI before and after the session.
- The 2024 conference abstract identified nineteen people aged 65 or older among fourteen hundred participants in thirty-six trials: less than 1.4% of that reviewed sample.
On June 8, 2026 Berkeley News announced PLASTICITY, investigating cognition, affect and MRI measures in healthy adults aged 60 to 85. Registry NCT06367738 plans forty participants and a study dose in the 1 to 30 mg range. These are research parameters with clinical selection and supervision, not a regimen or proven brain protection.
A glaring gap in psychedelic research
Berkeley highlights underrepresentation of older people. The indexed 2024 conference abstract by Bouchet and colleagues was also consulted: nineteen people aged 65 or older among fourteen hundred participants in thirty-six trials, less than 1.4%. Those thirty-six trials and a full methodological report were not reviewed here, and the abstract does not establish general safety in older adults. The plasticity hypothesis partly derives from animals; it does not establish that older people benefit most or that dementia is prevented.
What the PLASTICITY trial measures
The registry and institutional report describe assessments before intervention, at one week and at one month, including structural, diffusion and functional MRI, cognitive tests and affective measures. Some registry questionnaires extend to eight weeks; all imaging must not be described as two-month follow-up. MRI is indirect and does not count new synapses. Clinical selection and relevant exclusions mean future findings will not automatically generalize to every older person.
What it implies
The consulted public registry, last updated October 21, 2025, contains no posted results. That does not certify the absence of any external communication or the current operational status. This report describes the announced design and establishes neither efficacy, general safety nor prevention of aging or Alzheimer’s disease.
Source
- Berkeley News. Tripping into old age: Can psychedelics protect the aging brain?. UC Berkeley, June 8, 2026.
Educational content written from a harm reduction perspective and with respect for individual freedom. It is not a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional and is not intended to encourage or condemn any drug use.
