University:
Boston University
Course:
SAR HP 151 | Introduction to Health Professions
Academic year:

2023
Views:

112

Pages:

1
Author:

vratitiea8k

Therapeutic properties of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide for Alzheimer's disease Introduction Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes brain cell death and brain size reduction. It is the most common form of dementia, affecting over 50 million people worldwide. The buildup of toxic amyloid-β proteins in the brains of AD patients can get in between neurons, disrupting signaling between them. AD in the early stages affects the entorhinal cortex, thalamus and hippocampus. These parts of the brain are responsible for sensory input, learning, and memory. This is why people in the early stages of AD may have trouble learning new things and remembering recent events. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent psychedelic drug that binds to the serotonin receptor 5-HT2A. When bound, it increases glutamate (the primary excitatory neurotransmitter) transmission across the brain which stimulates the firing of nerve cells and strengthens synapses. The strengthening of synapses occurs via the process of long term potentiation (LTP), in which synaptic connections between neurons become stronger via frequent activation. The mechanism of LTP: 1. Glutamate activates the AMPA receptor 2. Cell membrane depolarizes 3. Depolarization of the cell causes the magnesium blockage of NMDA receptor (prominent glutamate receptor) to be removed 4. Calcium ions flow through NMDA receptors 5. Influx of calcium ions leads to the multiplication of AMPA receptors 6. More receptors more signals stronger synapse ⇒ ⇒ Our first model was a simple neural network of the Hippocampus. Next, we adjusted the cell death variable to create a model with Alzheimer’s disease. Then, we created and modified a serotonin variable to display a neural network with LSD. Lastly, the Alzheimer’s disease and LSD models were combined into one neural network, which we compared to the model without AD to determine whether or not LSD reduces the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Conclusions Our results provided evidence that LSD, with further investigation, could be a temporary treatment for AD. In figures 1 & 2: we can observe more spikes above the threshold (value of -55 mV) for the model with AD and LSD compared to the model with only AD. The greater amount of spikes in the model of AD with the addition of LSD demonstrates an increase in neuronal activity. In figures 3 & 4: we can see that adding LSD to a patient with AD increases the patient's ability to recall memories. However, one problem with using LSD as a treatment for AD is the fact that LSD is a shortterm, temporary solution. Solving this issue would need a deeper dive into researching LSD in relation to AD. Results Alzheimer's Disease Method Alzheimer's Disease with LSD Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4