Testing the Effects of LSD Microdoses on Mood and Cognitive Functioning

BrainPost, 11 June 2019

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a hallucinogenic drug commonly used for recreational purposes. The psychoactive effects of LSD are primarily thought to arise through its ability to bind to serotonin receptors, like many other antidepressants. Since the 1950’s, there have been more than a thousand studies investigating the use of LSD as a potential treatment for depression. However, many of these studies used LSD in combination with psychotherapy and did not have appropriate control groups—meaning that it was not possible to isolate the effects of the drugs from the psychotherapy. In recent years there has been a huge spike in public interest in using ‘microdoses’ (between five and 20 micrograms) of LSD to improve mood and cognitive function. LSD microdoses have great therapeutic potential, as the higher doses used in previous studies are impractical for long-term administration due to perceptual distortions and impaired inhibitory control. Read more.