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Home/Research/LSD/Microdosing

LSD for Microdosing

61 papers and 6 clinical trials exploring lsd as a treatment for microdosing.

Compoundclassic psychedelic

LSD

LSD is a classic psychedelic ergoline with high potency at microgram doses and an 8-12 hour duration of action, mediated primarily via 5-HT2A receptor agonism. Modern Phase IIb data in generalised anxiety disorder and FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for MM120 have reignited clinical development.

Full LSD profile
IndicationAround 300 million people worldwide are affected by a variety of mental health conditions that microdosing may address.

Microdosing

Microdosing involves the regular consumption of sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics, primarily for cognitive enhancement and emotional wellbeing. Although popularised through anecdotal reports, rigorous scientific evidence on its effects is still limited, pointing to a critical need for further research in this emerging field.

Full Microdosing profile

Academic Research

61 papers
Open Accessindividual

LSD microdosing for major depressive disorder: Mood and pharmacokinetic outcomes from a Phase 2a trial

This open-label trial (n=19) found that repeated microdosed LSD (8 to 20 μg) was associated with short-term improvements in daily mood, but not same-day changes in self-reported depression, in people with major depressive disorder. It also provided pharmacokinetic data for sublingual LSD and found no evidence of tolerance or sensitisation across the 8-week dosing regimen.

Published
March 1, 2026
Journal
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
Authors
Daldegan-Bueno, D., Donegan, C. J., Sumner, R., Forsyth, A., Jeong, S. H., Evans, W., Alshakhouri, M., Murphy, R. J., Reynolds, L., Hoeh, N., Allen, N., Sundram, F., Menkes, D. B., Muthukumaraswamy, S.
Open Accessindividual

It's all about the relationship: The caregiver experience of supporting a person with advanced cancer going through an LSD microdosing trial

This secondary analysis of an RCT (n=15 interviews) found that caregivers of people with advanced cancer were generally supportive of participation in an LSD microdosing plus meaning-centred psychotherapy trial, though some were initially hesitant. It highlighted the bidirectional nature of patient-caregiver well-being, with the intervention seen as offering hope, easing existential distress, and strengthening their relationship.

Published
February 26, 2026
Journal
Palliative & Supportive Care
Authors
Cottam, F., Wells, A., Clayden, C., Reynolds, L.
Open Accessindividual

LSD microdosing in major depressive disorder: results from an open-label trial

This open-label Phase IIa trial (n=19, 15 male) found that an 8-week regimen of microdosed LSD (8μg initially, then 6-20μg twice weekly) for major depressive disorder was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events or cardiac valvulopathy, achieved 59.5% reduction in MADRS scores sustained for six months, and had only one withdrawal due to anxiety.

Published
February 1, 2026
Journal
Neuropharmacology
Authors
Daldegan-Bueno, D., Donegan, C. J., Sumner, R. L., Forsyth, A., Evans, W. J., Alshakhouri, M., Reynolds, L. M, Roop, P., Ponton, R., Smith, T., Hoeh, N. R., Allen, N., Sundram, F., Menkes, D. B., Muthukumaraswamy, S.
Open Accessindividual

What is it like to microdose LSD for depression? a thematic analysis of participant interviews from an open-label trial

In an open‑label 8‑week pilot trial, thematic analysis of interviews with 17 people with major depressive disorder found that many participants reported enhanced self‑determination, increased connectedness, clearer cognitive processing and improved emotional well‑being that they linked to reduced depressive symptoms. However, responses were heterogeneous—some reported negative effects or no benefit—and the open‑label design without a placebo control limits causal conclusions and emphasises the need for careful dosing and realistic expectations.

Published
December 4, 2025
Journal
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
Authors
Joy Donegan, C., Daldegan-Bueno, D., Sumner, R. L., Forsyth, A., Evans, W., Hoeh, N. R., Sundram, F., Menkes, D., Muthukumaraswamy, S., Reynolds, L.
Open Accessindividual

Participant Experiences of Microdosed Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in a 6-Week Randomised Controlled Trial

In the first qualitative study embedded in a randomised, placebo‑controlled trial, interviews with 40 healthy males who microdosed 10 µg LSD every third day for six weeks identified effects across mood, social life, mindfulness, cognition/creativity and physiology, with overarching themes of increased openness and bidirectional (positive and negative) effects. These findings highlight clinically relevant signals (notably changes in anxiety) that bear on patient and dose selection for mood‑disorder trials and emphasise set, setting and placebo‑related uncertainty as key considerations for psychedelic trial design.

Published
November 10, 2025
Journal
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
Authors
Murphy, R. J., Wardlaw, M., Smith, T., Noorani, T., Evans, W., Reynolds, L., Menkes, D. B., Sumner, R. L., Muthukumaraswamy, S. D.
Open Accessindividual

A randomised placebo-controlled study of the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide microdosing (15 μg) on pain perception in healthy volunteers

In a randomised placebo‑controlled trial in healthy volunteers, repeated 15 µg LSD microdoses produced no overall analgesic effects on cold‑pressor pain tolerance or subjective pain ratings, despite increasing blood pressure and subjective drug effects. Post‑hoc analyses in participants without baseline ceiling effects suggested a transient increase in pain tolerance and reduced unpleasantness after the first dose, implying the dose may be below the threshold for consistent analgesia and that larger studies with higher doses are needed.

Published
September 4, 2025
Journal
British Journal of Pain
Authors
Cavarra, M., Hutten, N. R. P. W., Schepers, J., Mason, N. L., Theunissen, E. L., Liechti, M. E., Kuypers, K. P. C., Bonnelle, V., Feilding, A., Ramaekers, J. G., Ramakers, J. G.

Clinical Trials

6 trials
RecruitingPhase I

Drug Effects on Mood and Behavior – Expectancy (MESA-X)

Early Phase I, randomised, placebo-controlled single-session study (n=48) testing a low (13 µg) dose of LSD versus placebo under known versus uncertain drug-identity instructions (balanced placebo design).

Started
June 26, 2025
Type
interventional
Blinding
triple
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT07061886
RecruitingPhase II

Assessing the effects of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) microdosing in people experiencing depression (LSDDEP1)

This open-label pilot trial (n=20) aims to evaluate the tolerability and feasibility of LSD microdosing in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Started
August 14, 2023
Type
interventional
Blinding
none
Randomized
No
Registry ID
ACTRN12623000486628
Recruiting

The effects of three small morning and evening doses of LSD on mood, biological and psychological measures of sleep, neuroplasticity, and well-being

Randomised, double-blind factorial trial (n=24) testing three repeated microdoses of LSD (20 µg; three dosing days) versus placebo in healthy volunteers to assess effects on mood, sleep, neuroplasticity and related biomarkers.

Started
December 1, 2021
Type
interventional
Blinding
double
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NL9821
CompletedPhase NA

LSD microdosing - A repeated dosing study

This double-blind, randomized trial (n=60) conducted by Maastricht University Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, explores the effects of repeated doses of LSD (15µg) on mood, cognition, and neuroplasticity in healthy volunteers.

Started
February 3, 2020
Type
interventional
Blinding
double
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NL8736
CompletedPhase I

Mood Effects of Serotonin Agonists Extended

Triple-blind, randomised, parallel trial (n=56) testing four repeated very low doses of LSD (13 µg or 26 µg) versus placebo in healthy adults 18–40 to assess mood, cognitive performance and responses to emotional tasks.

Started
April 20, 2019
Type
interventional
Blinding
triple
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NCT03934710
Not yet recruiting

LSD microdosing

This interventional trial (n=27), led by Maastricht University with sponsorship from the Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, involves exploring the dose-response relationship in LSD-induced subjective and cognitive effects in healthy volunteers.

Started
May 1, 2018
Type
interventional
Blinding
double
Randomized
Yes
Registry ID
NL6907

Explore further

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