Expert review of clinical pharmacology
January 1, 2024
Lucas F Borkel, Jaime Rojas-Hernández, Luis Alberto Henríquez-Hernández et al.
40 citations
Growth motivations for using psychedelics, natural settings, and the presence of significant others during use predict less psychopathology, greater wellbeing, and more meaningful experiences. Problematic motivations predict greater psychopathology, lower wellbeing, and do not predict meaningfulness. These findings come from an online survey of 1022 Spanish-speaking participants, using a newly developed Psychedelic Use Scale to measure use of nine substances including LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA. The results suggest experimental hypotheses for future clinical trials and longitudinal studies.
Journal of psychiatric research
August 1, 2025
Lucas F Borkel, Jaime Rojas-Hernández, Domingo J Quintana-Hernández et al.
4 citations
Psychedelic therapy, while physiologically and psychologically safe, can alter users' beliefs, including inducing paranormal beliefs. This paper introduces the concept of epistemic criteria—the principles people use to validate and justify their beliefs—and hypothesizes that psychedelics may change beliefs by modifying these criteria. The authors argue that this potential, under-researched risk highlights ethical and epistemic challenges, vindicating the importance of epistemology in clinical and psychotherapeutic settings. Further research is needed to determine the extent of this risk.
Veterinary research communications
December 1, 2024
Luis Alberto Henríquez-Hernández, Ignacio García-Serrano, Domingo J Quintana-Hernández et al.
4 citations
A single low dose of 1cp-LSD (5 µg, or 0.38 µg/kg) was given orally to a 13-year-old mixed-breed dog with lifelong separation anxiety. For the first two hours the dog remained equally anxious in response to anxiety-inducing stimuli, but after that point its behavior showed a significant change with no or only mild signs of anxiety. The trial lasted five and a half hours and produced no adverse effects; the dog showed no signs of a psychedelic experience. The authors conclude that 1cp-LSD was safe and effectively reduced the dog's anxiety.
Veterinary medicine and science
July 1, 2025
Elisa Hernández-Álvarez, Lucas F Borkel, Jaime Rojas-Hernández et al.
3 citations
A 13-year-old female dog with severe separation anxiety received 5 µg of 1cp-LSD every three days for a month. The dog's anxiety score dropped from 29 (severe) to 14 (moderate) after treatment, with less destructive behavior and shorter vocalizations. One month later, improvement mostly held, though vocalization frequency increased. The lack of a control group means the observed changes could stem from the drug, owner expectations, or natural behavior shifts. Blinded studies with more dogs are needed to confirm whether microdosing 1cp-LSD helps canine anxiety.
PloS one
January 1, 2026
Diego Castellano-Ramírez, Elisa Hernández-Álvarez, Lucas F Borkel et al.
A survey of 325 medical and nursing students at a Spanish university found cautiously optimistic views toward psychedelic-assisted therapy, though concerns persist. Women reported lower perceived knowledge about psychedelics, while older students showed greater openness to their therapeutic potential. Medical students had higher perceived knowledge and stronger agreement with therapeutic applications than nursing students, who more strongly linked psychedelic use to psychiatric risk. Students who had personally used psychedelics were more supportive of legalization and therapeutic use. Formal education on psychedelics was associated with more favorable attitudes and increased knowledge, suggesting that training may reduce stigma and support evidence-based policy.