Psychopharmacology
November 26, 2018
Steliana Yanakieva, Naya Polychroni, Neiloufar Family et al.
169 citations
Microdoses of LSD (5, 10, and 20 μg) caused older adults to over-reproduce time intervals of 2000 milliseconds and longer, with the strongest effect at 10 μg. This temporal dilation occurred without noticeable changes in perception, mentation, or concentration, and was independent of any subjective drug effects. The findings suggest that LSD can directly alter interval timing at doses too low to produce conscious psychedelic effects, indicating a dissociation between neurochemical influences on time perception and altered states of consciousness.
Psychopharmacology
December 18, 2019
Neiloufar Family, Émeline L. Maillet, Luke T. J. Williams et al.
142 citations
Repeated low doses of LSD are safe and well tolerated in older adults. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 48 healthy volunteers aged around 63 received either 5, 10, or 20 micrograms of LSD or a placebo every four days for three weeks. LSD was undetectable in the blood at the 5 microgram dose, while peak levels for higher doses occurred within 30 minutes. Adverse events were no more frequent than with placebo, and tests of cognition, balance, and proprioception showed no impairment. These results support further clinical development of low-dose LSD for treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Language Cognition and Neuroscience
August 11, 2016
Neiloufar Family, David Vinson, Gabriella Vigliocco et al.
53 citations
LSD alters cognition by expanding the breadth of semantic activation. In a picture-naming task with ten participants, LSD reduced accuracy and altered error correction patterns compared to placebo, consistent with an increased spread of semantic activation. These effects align with a generalized entropic effect on the mind. The authors recommend future studies include direct neuroimaging and more naturalistic measures of semantic processing.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
March 1, 2022
Neiloufar Family, Peter S. Hendricks, Luke T. J. Williams et al.
23 citations
LSD doses of 50, 75, and 100 micrograms are tolerable and safe in healthy adults when administered in a novel group-based intervention paradigm with one attendant per participant. Thirty-two adults (mean age 28.8 years) received LSD or placebo across open-label and double-blind designs. No serious adverse events occurred; 28% of participants reported at least one mild expected adverse event and one moderate event. Peak blood plasma levels appeared 1.2 to 2 hours after administration, with an apparent half-life of 2.8 to 4.3 hours. LSD produced greater subjective effects than placebo, including mystical-type experiences. Further research is needed in clinical populations.