Mood and cognition after administration of low LSD doses in healthy volunteers: A placebo controlled dose-effect finding study
European Neuropsychopharmacology – October 17, 2020
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Microdosing with LSD can enhance mood and cognitive performance, as shown in a study with 24 healthy participants. A dose of just 5 mcg improved positive mood by 33% and reduced attentional lapses by 25%. Higher doses, particularly 20 mcg, further boosted friendliness and arousal while introducing some confusion and anxiety. Notably, the most significant effects on subjective experience were observed at 20 mcg. This suggests that even minimal doses of LSD may selectively improve mood and cognition without overwhelming side effects.
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.