Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
April 1, 2024
Hanna Molla, Royce Lee, Ilaria Tare et al.
37 citations
A single low dose of LSD (26 µg) produces more pronounced positive mood effects and stronger altered states of consciousness in people with mild depressive symptoms than in those without. In a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, 39 adults received either LSD or placebo. Those scoring 17 or higher on the Beck Depression Inventory reported greater increases in vigor, elation, and positive psychedelic effects, and showed a larger decline in depression scores 48 hours after the dose, compared with placebo. The drug caused only mild physiological and subjective effects overall.
Scientific Reports
September 22, 2023
Hanna Molla, Royce Lee, Sonja Lyubomirsky et al.
28 citations
Both MDMA and methamphetamine increase feelings of connectedness during casual conversations with an unfamiliar partner, and both drugs raise oxytocin levels. However, only after MDMA are oxytocin levels linked to feeling closer to the partner. The study involved 18 participants given MDMA or placebo and 19 given methamphetamine or placebo. These results reveal a new aspect of MDMA's pro-social effects and show that methamphetamine produces a similar behavioral effect, though through a different biological pathway.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
December 1, 2024
Connor Haggarty, Hanna Molla, James Glazer et al.
2 citations
A low dose of LSD (26 µg) alters the brain's electrical response to neutral and happy faces, but not angry faces. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment with 39 healthy adults, LSD reduced the amplitude of the N170 brain wave to neutral faces and reduced the P300 brain wave to neutral and happy faces, while angry faces were unaffected. These results suggest that low-dose LSD specifically changes how the brain processes non-threatening social cues, which may help explain reports of improved mood.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
September 16, 2025
Ramona L. Martinez, Nina Radošić, Hanna Molla et al.
1 citation
MDMA increases feelings of trust in the social world beyond specific interaction partners in a lab setting. The findings align with user reports of generalized social well-being effects and suggest that MDMA may have clinical value from a social psychological perspective.
Scientific reports
December 28, 2024
Harriet de Wit, Evan Hahn, Shahd Smadi et al.
1 citation
Psychoactive drugs like alcohol and stimulants are often used in social settings, but little is known about how they alter social interactions. This study tested whether MDMA, methamphetamine, and alcohol increase feelings of connection between strangers having a conversation, and also compared conversations with deeper topics versus small talk without drugs. All four conditions—deeper conversations, MDMA, methamphetamine, and alcohol—significantly increased feelings of connection and closeness compared to control conditions (small talk or placebo). The authors suggest these feelings of connection may contribute to the rewarding effects of drugs when used socially.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
March 1, 2026
Jonah Griffin-Stolbach, Hanna Molla, Donald Hedeker et al.
Questionnaires designed for high-dose psychedelic experiences fail to capture the subtle subjective effects of very low doses of LSD. Using data from 199 healthy volunteers given 6.5, 13, and 26 µg doses, a new 31-item questionnaire—the micro-dimensional Altered States of Consciousness (m-DASC)—was developed. It identifies four components: Transcendent Experience, Auditory Somatic Disturbance, Animated Intoxication, and Synesthesia, accounting for 44% of the variance. The m-DASC detected significant effects at 13 and 26 µg and correlated highly with longer questionnaires, offering a more sensitive tool for future low-dose psychedelic research.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
January 13, 2026
James Glazer, Hanna Molla, Royce Lee et al.
A low dose of LSD (26 micrograms) altered brain responses to reward feedback in people with mild-to-moderate depression, compared to those without depression. In depressed participants, LSD increased a brain signal called the late positive potential (LPP) when they received loss feedback, suggesting enhanced emotional processing of rewards. This change was linked to immediate positive mood and lower depressed mood two days later. Across all participants, LSD reduced other reward-related brain signals. The findings cautiously support the idea that low-dose LSD may have antidepressant effects.
Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)
January 1, 2024
Hanna Molla, Giovanni Novembre, Anya Bershad et al.
MDMA increases the perceived pleasantness of touch, but the neural mechanisms are not well understood. In a double-blind, randomized, within-subject fMRI study with 18 healthy participants, MDMA (1.5 mg/kg) compared to placebo enhanced affective ratings of gentle touch at both a slower, more pleasant speed (3 cm/s) and a faster, less pleasant speed (30 cm/s). Plasma oxytocin levels also increased more during the MDMA session. On the neural level, primary sensorimotor areas showed greater hemodynamic changes during MDMA for both touch speeds, indicating an early influence within somatosensory pathways. Changes in oxytocin levels interacted with the drug in area MT+, associated with motion perception. However, the posterior insula did not show preferential activation for the slower stroking speed.