In a recently published scientific Journal, a discussion on the effects of Magic Mushrooms also known as the hallucinogenic mushrooms was raised. Psilocybin, the active ingredient in the Magic Mushrooms is already known to affect neurons by increasing their activity.
Scientists are studying the opportunity of these mushrooms on comatose patients. Before testing its effects on patients in a vegetative state, scientists have planned to test these drugs on normal people either sleeping or sedated.
Psilocybin, the real component that we are talking about, increases the complexity in the brain. Whereas a patient in a vegetative state has nil to very less complexity in the brain because of which means the brain is inactive or cannot respond.
Neurologists from the Imperial College, London has confirmed that a lot of research and experimentation is required on this before we could possibly use this drug to treat comatose. If successful then it will be a big milestone for the World Medical and Health Industry.
There is no news or records of when the research and experimentation will start as there are ethical constraints coming in the way of this important and crucial research. Even if the drugs are tested on unconscious normal people either sleeping or sedated and are successful, the test would be required to be done on comatose patients eventually.
Medicines cannot be released without testing them for the same conditions and studying its effects which cannot be done here. Because, a person in a vegetative state cannot respond, thus cannot give consent. It becomes an ethical issue.
Gregory Scott from the Imperial College said that when you can’t do anything ethically you must leave it. It only means that a section of people who would have got benefitted here will remain neglected, which is extremely sad and dreadful.
If successful, Magic Mushrooms will change the destiny of a lot of people who had been in a vegetative state for years.