Mild repetitive head injuries do more than just cause short-term issues with cognition, behavior and motor skills. They also lead to an increased risk of dementia, Parkinson’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and cost billions of dollars in health care.

There is no medical treatment for these types of injuries but new preliminary research out of Northeastern University shows a solution may lie in a surprising place: psilocybin, the psychedelic found in drugs like magic mushrooms.

A group of researchers including Northeastern psychology professor Craig Ferris tested the healing effects of psilocybin on adult female rats. After these rats suffered mild head injuries, researchers found that being treated with psilocybin helped restore normal brain function.

“I was absolutely stunned,” Ferris said. “It actually improves these neuroradiological measures associated with head injury.”

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