Mood and cognition after administration of low LSD doses in healthy volunteers: A placebo controlled dose-effect finding study
This is the fourth publication on the administration of a microdose of LSD (5, 10, or 20µg). The double-blind, placebo-controlled study (n=24) found enhanced attention, slower information processing, more positive mood, and increased anxiety and confusion. Again, the results are small and ambiguous.
Authors
- Patrick Dolder
- Matthias Liechti
- Kim Kuypers
Published
Abstract
There is a popular interest in microdosing with psychedelics such as LSD. This practice of using one-tenth of a full psychedelic dose according to a specific dosing schedule, anecdotally enhances mood and performance. Nonetheless, controlled research on the efficacy of microdosing is scarce. The main objective of the present dose-finding study was to determine the minimal dose of LSD needed to affect mood and cognition. A placebo-controlled within-subject study including 24 healthy participants, was conducted to assess the acute effects of three LSD doses (5, 10, and 20 mcg) on measures of cognition, mood, and subjective experience, up until 6 h after administration. Cognition and subjective experience were assessed using the Psychomotor Vigilance Task, Digit Symbol Substitution Test, Cognitive Control Task, Profile of Mood States, and 5-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness rating scale. LSD showed positive effects in the majority of observations by increasing positive mood (20 mcg), friendliness (5, 20 mcg), arousal (5 mcg), and decreasing attentional lapses (5, 20 mcg). Negative effects manifested as an increase in confusion (20 mcg) and anxiety (5, 20 mcg). Psychedelic-induced changes in waking consciousness were also present (10, 20 mcg). Overall, the present study demonstrated selective, beneficial effects of low doses of LSD on mood and cognition in the majority of observations. The minimal LSD dose at which subjective and performance effects are notable is 5 mcg and the most apparent effects were visible after 20 mcg.
Research Summary of 'Mood and cognition after administration of low LSD doses in healthy volunteers: A placebo controlled dose-effect finding study'
Introduction
LSD is a classical psychedelic that produces marked alterations of waking consciousness at full doses (100–200 mcg) and has been investigated for therapeutic uses such as depression and anxiety. In parallel with interest in full-dose research, the practice of repeated low-dose ‘‘microdosing’’—commonly described as about one-tenth of a typical recreational dose—has become popular and is reported anecdotally to improve mood and cognitive performance. Prior analyses of blotter contents and user surveys suggest that typical microdoses range broadly (commonly ~6–10 mcg tartrate but reported between 1.4–50 mcg), and earlier controlled studies at low doses (6.5–26 mcg tartrate) have shown some subjective and neurophysiological effects but little evidence for changes in higher-order cognitive performance after a single administration. Hutten and colleagues designed a placebo-controlled, within-subject dose-finding study to determine the minimal oral dose of LSD that alters mood, subjective experience, and cognitive processes in healthy volunteers. Using three low base doses (5, 10, and 20 mcg) plus placebo, the study aimed to measure acute effects up to 6 hours after administration, and to explore inter-individual variability in cognitive and subjective responses. The investigators hypothesised, based on anecdotal reports and earlier work, that low doses would enhance attention, cognitive control, and positive mood.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
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- Compound
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- APA Citation
Hutten, N. R., Mason, N. L., Dolder, P. C., Theunissen, E. L., Holze, F., Liechti, M. E., Feilding, A., Ramaekers, J. G., & Kuypers, K. P. (2020). Mood and cognition after administration of low LSD doses in healthy volunteers: A placebo controlled dose-effect finding study. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 41, 81-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.10.002
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