Neurotoxicity and LSD treatment: a follow-up study of 151 patients in Denmark
History of Psychiatry – March 10, 2016
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Remarkably, two-thirds of patients treated with LSD in Denmark experienced lasting flashbacks years later. Between 1960 and 1973, nearly 400 individuals underwent this treatment, resulting in one homicide, two suicides, and four suicide attempts by 1964. Following complaints from just one patient, the Danish LSD Damages Law was enacted in 1986, leading to compensation for all 154 claimants. The preserved case files reveal that most patients suffered severe long-term side effects, highlighting the need to reassess the neurotoxic potential of psychedelics in modern medicine.
Abstract
LSD was introduced in psychiatry in the 1950s. Between 1960 and 1973, nearly 400 patients were treated with LSD in Denmark. By 1964, one homicide, two suicides and four suicide attempts had been reported. In 1986 the Danish LSD Damages Law was passed after complaints by only one patient. According to the Law, all 154 applicants received financial compensation for LSD-inflicted harm. The Danish State Archives has preserved the case material of 151 of the 154 applicants. Most of the patients suffered from severe side effects of the LSD treatment many years afterwards. In particular, two-thirds of the patients had flashbacks. With the recent interest in LSD therapy, we should consider the neurotoxic potential of LSD.