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.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
December 19, 2025
Elisa Hernández-Álvarez, Andrea Acosta-Dacal, Octavio P Luzardo et al.
1 citation
A proposed study will test whether low doses of 1cp-LSD, a legal LSD analogue, can help manage chronic pain in dogs with osteoarthritis. About 24 dogs will receive intermittent, sub-perceptual doses of the drug or a placebo over 30 days while continuing standard pain medication. Caregivers will not know which treatment their dog receives. Pain will be measured using the Canine Brief Pain Inventory and caregiver reports, including a questionnaire on treatment expectations. The study expects pain scores to decrease in treated dogs, possibly influenced by caregiver expectations. Limitations include a small sample size and lack of established dosing.
Veterinary sciences
January 19, 2026
Elisa Hernández-Álvarez, Cristina Canino-Quijada, Sira Roiz et al.
Giving shelter dogs a low dose of 1cp-LSD (a legal LSD-like compound) alongside behavioral therapy improves their sociability, calmness, and positive emotional reactivity more than either treatment alone. Twenty dogs were randomly assigned to receive the drug, ethological intervention, both, or neither. The combined treatment produced benefits that lasted for three weeks after the sessions ended. These results offer early evidence that integrating low-dose psychedelics with behavioral therapy could help reduce stress and anxiety in shelter dogs, though larger studies are needed to confirm safety and effectiveness.
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.