Microdosing Psychedelics: Current Evidence From Controlled Studies

Summary & key facts

Researchers reviewed carefully controlled lab studies of microdosing where neither the participants nor the researchers knew who got the drug or a placebo. They found about 14 studies, all using low doses of LSD given by the investigators. Small doses of LSD changed things like blood pressure, sleep patterns, brain connectivity, social thinking, mood, and how people felt pain and time, but these effects were only noticeable at about 10 to 20 micrograms and not at about 5 micrograms. Taking repeated low doses did not change mood or thinking on the tests used. No serious harms were reported, but the studies were done in healthy adults and more research is needed in patient groups and with other psychedelics.

Key facts:

• The review looked at roughly 14 carefully controlled lab studies where neither participants nor researchers knew who received drug or placebo.
• All the included studies tested low doses of LSD, about 5 to 20 micrograms, given by the study team.
• Clear drug effects were reported only at about 10 to 20 micrograms; about 5 micrograms produced no noticeable effects.
• Single low doses of LSD changed blood pressure, sleep, brain connectivity, social thinking, mood, and how people perceived pain and time.
• When people took repeated low doses in these studies, their mood and thinking did not change on the tests used.
• No serious adverse effects were reported in these studies of healthy adults.
• The authors say these results suggest low LSD doses produce short-term brain and behavior effects and appear safe in healthy volunteers, but more studies are needed in clinical groups and with other psychedelic drugs.

Abstract

Taking regular low doses of psychedelic drugs (microdosing) is a practice that has drawn recent scientific and media attention for its potential psychotherapeutic effects. Yet, controlled studies evaluating this practice have lagged. Here, we review recent evidence focusing on studies that were conducted with rigorous experimental control. Studies conducted under laboratory settings using double-blind placebo-controlled procedures and investigator-supplied drug were compiled. The review includes demographic characteristics of participants and dependent measures such as physiological, behavioral, and subjective effects of the drugs. Review criteria were met by 14 studies, all of which involved acute or repeated low (5-20 μg) doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Acute microdoses of LSD dose-dependently altered blood pressure, sleep, neural connectivity, social cognition, mood, and perception of pain and time. Perceptible drug effects were reported at doses of 10 to 20 μg but not 5 μg. No serious adverse effects were reported. Repeated doses of LSD did not alter mood or cognition on any of the measures studied. The findings suggest that low doses of LSD are safe and produce acute behavioral and neural effects in healthy adults. Further studies are warranted to extend these findings to patient samples and to other psychedelic drugs and to investigate microdosing as a potential pharmacological treatment for psychiatric disorders.

Topics

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Adverse effect Alternative medicine Clinical psychology Cognition Hallucinogen Internal medicine Lysergic acid diethylamide Medicine Mood Pathology Pharmacology Placebo Psychiatry Psychology Receptor Serotonin

Substances

LSD

Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety Depression Anxiety or worry Sadness or low mood