Anxiety DisordersHealthy VolunteersNeurocognitive DisordersMedicinal Chemistry & Drug DevelopmentLSDMDMA

Distinct acute effects of LSD, MDMA, and D-amphetamine in healthy subjects.

In a randomised, double-blind, cross-over study in 28 healthy subjects, single doses of LSD (0.1 mg), MDMA (125 mg) and d-amphetamine (40 mg) produced similar autonomic responses but clearly distinct subjective and endocrine profiles. LSD caused the strongest alterations of consciousness, ego dissolution, cognitive impairment and anxiety; MDMA produced the most positive/empathetic effects and increased plasma oxytocin; d-amphetamine primarily raised blood pressure and enhanced activity and concentration, while none of the drugs altered plasma BDNF — results that can inform dose-finding in substance-assisted psychotherapy.

Authors

  • Patrick Vizeli
  • Stefan Borgwardt
  • Felix Müller

Published

Neuropsychopharmacology
individual Study

Abstract

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a classic psychedelic, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is an empathogen, and d-amphetamine is a classic stimulant. All three substances are used recreationally. LSD and MDMA are being investigated as medications to assist psychotherapy, and d-amphetamine is used for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. All three substances induce distinct acute subjective effects. However, differences in acute responses to these prototypical psychoactive substances have not been characterized in a controlled study. We investigated the acute autonomic, subjective, and endocrine effects of single doses of LSD (0.1 mg), MDMA (125 mg), d-amphetamine (40 mg), and placebo in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study in 28 healthy subjects. All of the substances produced comparable increases in hemodynamic effects, body temperature, and pupil size, indicating equivalent autonomic responses at the doses used. LSD and MDMA increased heart rate more than d-amphetamine, and d-amphetamine increased blood pressure more than LSD and MDMA. LSD induced significantly higher ratings on the 5 Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness scale and Mystical Experience Questionnaire than MDMA and d-amphetamine. LSD also produced greater subjective drug effects, ego dissolution, introversion, emotional excitation, anxiety, and inactivity than MDMA and d-amphetamine. LSD also induced greater impairments in subjective ratings of concentration, sense of time, and speed of thinking compared with MDMA and d-amphetamine. MDMA produced greater ratings of good drug effects, liking, high, and ego dissolution compared with d-amphetamine. d-Amphetamine increased ratings of activity and concentration compared with LSD. MDMA but not LSD or d-amphetamine increased plasma concentrations of oxytocin. None of the substances altered plasma concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. These results indicate clearly distinct acute effects of LSD, MDMA, and d-amphetamine and may assist the dose-finding in substance-assisted psychotherapy research.

Available with Blossom Pro

Research Summary of 'Distinct acute effects of LSD, MDMA, and D-amphetamine in healthy subjects.'

Introduction

Holze and colleagues situate LSD, MDMA, and D-amphetamine as representative compounds of three pharmacological classes that are both used recreationally and being investigated clinically: LSD as a classic serotonergic hallucinogen acting principally at 5-HT2A receptors, MDMA as an empathogen/entactogen with serotonergic and noradrenergic effects and oxytocin release, and D-amphetamine as a prototypical psychostimulant acting primarily via dopamine and norepinephrine. The authors note that acute subjective experiences differ between these substances and that the magnitude and quality of psychedelic experiences (for example on measures of mystical-type experiences) have been linked in prior work with longer-term therapeutic outcomes, but that direct head-to-head, double-blind comparisons of their acute autonomic, subjective, and endocrine effects within the same participants are lacking. The primary aim of the study was to characterise and compare the acute autonomic, subjective, endocrine, and pharmacokinetic profiles of single oral doses of LSD (0.1 mg), MDMA (125 mg), and D-amphetamine (40 mg) versus placebo in a within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design. The investigators hypothesised that LSD would produce stronger and qualitatively different alterations of waking consciousness (measured by the 5D-ASC scale and MEQ) than MDMA and D-amphetamine, that MDMA would produce distinct emotional effects and increase plasma oxytocin more than the other drugs, and that none of the drugs would necessarily alter plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) at the tested doses. The authors framed the head-to-head approach as also improving blinding compared with prior studies that used inactive placebo comparators.

Expert Research Summaries

Go Pro to access AI-powered section-by-section summaries, editorial takes, and the full research toolkit.

Full Text PDF

Full Paper PDF

Create a free account to open full-text PDFs.

Study Details

References (30)

Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom

Modern clinical research on LSD

Liechti, M. E. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2017)

Acute effects of lysergic acid diethylamide in healthy subjects

Schmid, Y., Enzler, F., Gasser, P. et al. · Biological Psychiatry (2015)

The fabric of meaning and subjective effects in LSD-induced states depend on serotonin 2A receptor activation

Preller, K. H., Herdener, M., Pokorny, T. et al. · Current Biology (2017)

Receptor interaction profiles of novel psychoactive tryptamines compared with classic hallucinogens

Rickli, A., Moning, O. D., Hoener, M. C. et al. · European Neuropsychopharmacology (2016)

Quality of acute psychedelic experience predicts therapeutic efficacy of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression

Roseman, L., Nutt, D. J., Carhart-Harris, R. L. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2018)

Long-lasting subjective effects of LSD in normal subjects

Schmid, Y., Liechti, M. E. · Psychopharmacology (2017)

Psilocybin-occasioned mystical experiences in the treatment of tobacco addiction

Garcia-Romeu, A., Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W. · Current Drug Abuse Reviews (2015)

Show all 30 references
MDMA enhances emotional empathy and prosocial behavior

´dric, C., Hysek, M., Schmid, Y. et al. · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (2013)

Effects of MDMA and Intranasal oxytocin on social and emotional processing

Kirkpatrick, M. G., Lee, R., Wardle, M. C. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2014)

LSD acutely impairs fear recognition and enhances emotional empathy and sociality

Dolder, P. C., Schmid, Y., Müller, F. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2016)

Safety pharmacology of acute MDMA administration in healthy subjects

Vizeli, P., Liechti, M. E. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2017)

Psychedelics promote structural and functional neural plasticity

Ly, C., Greb, A. C., Cameron, L. P. et al. · Cell Reports (2018)

Prediction of psilocybin response in healthy volunteers

Studerus, E., Gamma, A., Kometer, M. et al. · PLOS ONE (2012)

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of lysergic acid diethylamide in healthy subjects

Dolder, P. C., Schmid, Y., Steuer, A. E. et al. · Clinical Pharmacokinetics (2017)

Pharmacokinetics and subjective effects of a novel oral LSD formulation in healthy subjects

Holze, F., Duthaler, U., Vizeli, P. et al. · British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (2019)

Prosocial effects of MDMA: A measure of generosity

Kirkpatrick, M. G., Delton, A. W., de Wit, H. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)

68 cited
Psychometric evaluation of the altered states of consciousness rating scale (OAV)

Studerus, E., Gamma, A., Vollenweider, F. X. · PLOS ONE (2010)

Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin

Barrett, F. S., Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)

Effects of a β-blocker on the cardiovascular response to MDMA (Ecstasy)

Hysek, C. M., Vollenweider, F. X., Liechti, M. E. · BMJ Open (2010)

47 cited
The paradoxical psychological effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)

Carhart-Harris, R. L., Kaelen, M., Bolstridge, M. et al. · Psychological Medicine (2016)

253 cited
Safety and efficacy of lysergic acid diethylamide-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases

Gasser, P., Holstein, D., Michel, Y. et al. · Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (2014)

594 cited

Cited By (89)

Papers in Blossom that reference this study

Mystical Experience Induced by Esketamine Treatment: A Real-World Observational Study

Mallevays, M., Fuet, L., Danon, M. et al. · MedRvix (2026)

Psychedelic therapy and postpartum depression: priorities and prospects

Thuery, G., Crossen, F., Mc Loone, D. et al. · Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology (2026)

Psychedelics are associated with changes in spiritual beliefs and orientations in US veterans

Brown, R. E., Shinozuka, K., Kaloiani, I. et al. · Research Square (2026)

Predicting and exploring ayahuasca effects: Perception, mind-wandering, and EEG oscillations

Silva-Costa, N., Pessoa, J. A., Andrade, K. C. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2025)

Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Urinary Recovery of Oral Mescaline Hydrochloride in Healthy Participants

Mueller, L., Klaiber, A., Ley, L. et al. · Clinical Pharmacokinetics (2025)

Show all 89 papers
Acute dose-dependent effects of mescaline in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects

Klaiber, A., Schmid, Y., Becker, A. M. et al. · Translational Psychiatry (2024)

13 cited
Pharmacological and non-pharmacological predictors of the LSD experience in healthy participants

Vizeli, P., Studerus, E., Holze, F. et al. · Translational Psychiatry (2024)

Inter-individual variability in neural response to low doses of LSD

Hutten, N. R. P. W., Quaedflieg, C. W. E. M., Mason, N. L. et al. · Translational Psychiatry (2024)

Effective-connectivity of thalamocortical interactions following d-amphetamine, LSD, and MDMA administration

Avram, M., Müller, F., Preller, K. H. et al. · Biological Psychiatry (2024)

13 cited
The 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine enhances early visual processing for salient socio-emotional stimuli

Haggarty, C. J., Bershad, A. K., Kumar, M. K. et al. · European Journal of Neurology (2024)

2 cited
4 cited
Methylone is a rapid-acting neuroplastogen with less off-target activity than MDMA

Schmidt, E. F., Warner-Schmidt, J., Stogniew, M. et al. · Frontiers in Neuroscience (2024)

Effects of hallucinogenic drugs on the human heart

Neumann, J., Dhein, S., Kirchhefer, U. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2024)

5-MeO-DMT: An atypical psychedelic with unique pharmacology, phenomenology & risk?

Dourron, H. M., Nichols, C. D., Simonsson, O. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2023)

18 cited
The entropic heart: Tracking the psychedelic state via heart rate dynamics

Rosas, F. E., Mediano, P. A. M., Timmermann, C. et al. · Biorxiv (2023)

Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and urinary recovery of oral lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) administration in healthy participants

Friederike, H., Liechti, M. E., Holze, F. et al. · British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (2023)

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: Growing evidence for memory effects mediating treatment efficacy

Sarmanlu, M., Kuypers, K. P. C., Vizeli, P. et al. · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry (2023)

Must Psilocybin Always “Assist Psychotherapy”?

Goodwin, G. M., Malievskaia, E., Fonzo, G. A. et al. · American Journal of Psychiatry (2023)

Psychedelics reopen the social reward learning critical period

Nardou, R., Sawyer, E., Song, Y. J. et al. · Nature (2023)

Assessment of the acute effects of 2C-B vs psilocybin on subjective experience, mood and cognition

Mallaroni, P., Mason, N. L., Reckweg, J. T. et al. · Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2023)

39 cited
27 cited
Control Conditions in Randomized Trials of Psychedelics: An ACTTION Systematic Review

Nayak, S., Bradley, M. K., Kleykamp, B. A. et al. · Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (2023)

Dose-response relationships of LSD-induced subjective experiences in humans

Prugger, J., Hirschfeld, T., Majic, T. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2023)

19 cited
Can psychedelics enhance group psychotherapy? A discussion on the therapeutic factors

Ponomarenko, P., Seragnoli, F., Calder, A. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2023)

Pharmacological effects of methylone and MDMA in humans

Poyatos, L., Pérez-Mañá, C., Hladun, O. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2023)

20 cited
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral psilocybin administration in healthy participants

Holze, F., Becker, A. M., Kolaczynska, K. E. et al. · Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2022)

Altered States of Consciousness During Ceremonial San Pedro Use

Bohn, A., Kiggen, M. H. H., Uthaug, M. V. et al. · International Journal for the Psychology of Religion (2022)

The Altered States Database: Psychometric data from a systematic literature review

Prugger, J., Derdiyok, E., Dinkelacker, J. et al. · Scientific Data (2022)

Ketanserin reverses the acute response to LSD in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study in healthy subjects

Becker, A. M., Klaiber, A., Holze, F. et al. · International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2022)

73 cited
The effect of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on whole-brain functional and effective connectivity

Bedford, P., Hauke, D. J., Wang, Z. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2022)

Towards an understanding of psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity

Calder, A. E., Hasler, G. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2022)

Pharmacological, Neural, and Psychological Mechanisms underlying Psychedelics: A Critical Review

van Elk, M., Yaden, D. B. · Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2022)

Psychedelics, Mystical Experience, and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic Review

Knight, G., Rucker, J., Cleare, A. J. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2022)

Group VR experiences can produce ego attenuation and connectedness comparable to psychedelics

Glowacki, D. R., Wonnacott, M. D., Freire, R. et al. · Scientific Reports (2022)

31 cited
Remembering Molly: Immediate and delayed false memory formation after acute MDMA exposure

Kloft, L., Otgaar, H., Blokland, A. et al. · European Neuropsychopharmacology (2022)

Psychedelic Cognition-The Unreached Frontier of Psychedelic Science

Balaet, M. · Frontiers in Neuroscience (2022)

MDMA and memory, addiction, and depression: dose-effect analysis

Pantoni, M. M., Kim, J. L., Van Alstyne, K. R. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2022)

A randomized controlled trial of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and fear extinction retention in healthy adults

Maples-Keller, J. L., Norrholm, S. D., Burton, M. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2022)

42 cited
Classic Psychedelic Drugs: Update on Biological Mechanisms

Vollenweider, F. X., Smallridge, J. W. · Pharmacopsychiatry (2022)

71 cited
Human behavioral pharmacology of psychedelics

Strickland, J. C., Johnson, M. W. · Advances in Pharmacology (2022)

5 cited
Psychedelic Therapy's Transdiagnostic Effects: A Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Perspective

Dursun, S. M., Kelly, J. R., Gillan, C. M. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2021)

Safety pharmacology of acute LSD administration in healthy subjects

Holze, F., Caluori, T. V., Vizeli, P. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2021)

Role of the 5-HT2A receptor in acute effects of LSD on empathy and circulating oxytocin

Holze, F., Avedisian, I., Varghese, N. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2021)

A Systematic Review of the MDMA Model to Address Social Impairment in Autism

Chaliha, D., Mamo, J. C., Albrecht, M. et al. · Current Neuropharmacology (2021)

3 cited
Genetic influence of CYP2D6 on pharmacokinetics and acute subjective effects of LSD in a pooled analysis

Vizeli, P., Straumann, I., Holze, F. et al. · Scientific Reports (2021)

40 cited
37 cited
Prediction of MDMA response in healthy humans: a pooled analysis of placebo-controlled studies

Studerus, E., Vizeli, P., Harder, S. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)

50 cited
LSD and ketanserin and their impact on the human autonomic nervous system

Olbrich, S., Preller, K. H., Vollenweider, F. X. · Psychophysiology (2021)

25 cited
Hallucinogenic/psychedelic 5HT2A receptor agonists as rapid antidepressant therapeutics: Evidence and mechanisms of action

Dos Santos, R. G., Hallak, J. E., Baker, G. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)

The History of Psychedelics in Psychiatry

Nichols, D. E., Walter, H. · Pharmacopsychiatry (2020)

Mood and cognition after administration of low LSD doses in healthy volunteers: A placebo controlled dose-effect finding study

Hutten, N. R. P. W., Mason, N. L., Dolder, P. C. et al. · European Neuropsychopharmacology (2020)

95 cited
Ketamine and Serotonergic Psychedelics: Common Mechanisms Underlying the Effects of Rapid-Acting Antidepressants

Kadriu, B., Greenwald, M., Ba et al. · International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2020)

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of lysergic acid diethylamide microdoses in healthy participants

Zhang, D. Z., Holze, F., Liechti, M. E. et al. · Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2020)

49 cited
Acute subjective effects in LSD- and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy

Schmid, Y., Gasser, P., Oehen, P. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2020)

72 cited
Integrating psychotherapy and psychopharmacology: psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and other combined treatments

Greenway, K. T., Garel, N., Jerome, L. et al. · Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology (2020)

Subacute Effects of the Psychedelic Ayahuasca on the Salience and Default Mode Networks

Pasquini, L., Palhano-Fontes, F., Araújo, D. B. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2020)

Reviewing the potential of psychedelics for the treatment of PTSD

Krediet, E., Bostoen, T., Breeksema, J. J. et al. · International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2020)

Your Personal Research Library

Go Pro to save papers, add notes, rate studies, and organize your research into custom shelves.