January 2026
LSD
What January 2026's 15 new studies found, synthesized from the papers below. All LSD research →
The synthesis
Synthesized from 15 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below
Found by searching the library for LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide, lysergide, then ranked by relevance.
Research on LSD in January 2026 shows that LSD alters brain dynamics by increasing alpha and beta peak frequencies, flattening aperiodic neural activity, and enhancing signal complexity, while also affecting reward-related brain responses in depressed individuals. Low doses (microdosing) may reduce cognitive control but show no consistent cognitive enhancement, and a systematic review confirms therapeutic potential for psychiatric disorders when combined with psychotherapy. However, evidence is limited by small sample sizes, open-label designs, and the need for more rigorous, long-term safety and efficacy studies.
Confidence in the evidence
Low-Moderate- Only a few original studies (e.g., MEG, ERP) with small samples (N=20-39) directly address LSD's neural effects.
- The systematic review (article 18109) is comprehensive but synthesizes existing literature rather than providing new data.
- Meta-analysis on microdosing (article 28054) includes 14 studies but finds only a negative effect on cognitive control, with no positive cognitive outcomes.
- Risk of bias is present due to open-label designs and lack of blinding in some studies (e.g., animal study 18953).
How we rate confidence
Confidence reflects the strength of the underlying evidence, not whether the result is favorable. It weighs the number and size of studies, their design (randomized trials count for more than observational or single-case work), how consistently they point the same way, and their risk of bias.
Tiers run from Insufficient to High. High is rare in this field: small, early, or open-label studies land lower even when their direction is encouraging.
Evidence by study
Direction is each study's finding relative to your question: Supports, Opposes, No effect, Mixed, or Unclear.
| Study | Design | Sample size | Direction | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSD Reconfigures Cortical Dynamics Through Faster Brain Rhythms and Increased Fractal Dimension 2026 | RCT (within-subject, placebo-controlled) | Supports | LSD induces spatially structured increases in alpha and beta peak frequencies, flattens aperiodic 1/f slope, and increases neural signal fractality and complexity, with machine learning identifying these as key discriminators of the psychedelic state. | |
| THE PSYCHEDELIC RENAISSANCE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PSILOCYBIN AND LSD IN THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS 2026 | systematic review | Supports | The review synthesizes data showing significant therapeutic potential of LSD and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, end-of-life distress, and substance use disorders when combined with psychotherapy. | |
| Evaluation of 1cp-LSD for Enhancing Welfare in Shelter Dogs: A Randomized Blind Trial with Ethological Intervention. 2026 | RCT (blinded) | 20 | Supports | Low-dose 1cp-LSD combined with ethological intervention significantly enhanced sociability, calmness, and positive emotional reactivity in shelter dogs, with benefits persisting for three weeks post-treatment. |
| Reward-related neural activity after low doses of LSD in participants with depressed mood. 2026 | RCT (within-subject, placebo-controlled) | 39 | Supports | LSD (26 μg) increased late positive potential amplitude to loss feedback in depressed participants, associated with acute positive mood and lower depressed mood 48 hours later. |
| Classifying Psychedelic-Related Complications 2026 | review | Unclear | The review outlines complications associated with classic psychedelics, including acute, subacute, and long-term effects, and emphasizes the need for awareness and management of risks. | |
| Effects of psychedelic microdosing on cognitive functions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2026 | meta-analysis | 1614 | Opposes | Microdosing of LSD and psilocybin showed a significant decrease in cognitive control, with no detectable effects on other cognitive domains, and no moderation by substance type, dose, or duration. |
| Psychedelic exposure in pregnancy: a scoping review to inform perinatal drug safety and clinical counseling. 2026 | scoping review | Unclear | The review found limited primary human evidence on prenatal exposure to LSD and other psychedelics, identifying significant evidence gaps for perinatal counseling and pharmacovigilance. | |
| A Promise Without Panacea: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies in Modern Psychiatry. 2026 | editorial | Supports | The editorial highlights promising therapeutic effects of psychedelic-assisted therapies for treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and substance use disorders, but notes regulatory, methodological, and ethical challenges. | |
| Chemical profile of synthetic drugs seized in Paraná State (Brazil): Possible decline of new psychoactive substances. 2026 | observational (forensic analysis) | 1656 | Supports | A progressive increase in LSD identifications in blotters was observed from 2014 to 2024, while NPS identifications decreased over time. |
| It’s all about the relationship: The caregiver experience of supporting a person with advanced cancer going through an LSD microdosing trial 2026 | qualitative | Supports | The study emphasizes the importance of including caregivers in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials due to the bidirectional relationship in wellbeing between cancer dyads. | |
| LSD 5-HT2A receptor occupancy and global functional connectivity effects 2026 | preprint (figure/study protocol) | Supports | LSD shows occupancy at the 5-HT2A receptor and global functional connectivity effects in healthy participants, with pre-registered methods. | |
| Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder in adolescence: a complex case of lysergic acid diethylamide-induced visual disturbances with trauma-associated exacerbation 2026 | case report | 1 | Opposes | A 16-year-old developed hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) after recreational LSD use, with symptoms exacerbated by trauma. |
| LSD and psilocybin effects on cerebral blood flow and global functional connectivity 2026 | preprint (figure/study protocol) | Supports | LSD and psilocybin effects on cerebral blood flow and global functional connectivity are presented, with pre-registered methods for LSD data. | |
| Contextualizing Violence Risk Associated With Hallucinogens 2026 | review | Unclear | The review finds that the effect of hallucinogens like LSD on aggression and violence risk remains inconclusive, with individual risk factors needing further research. | |
| Psychedelic-assisted therapy: a survey on the clinical methods of Swiss physicians. 2026 | survey | 41 | Supports | Swiss physicians use LSD (65.9%) primarily for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain, with most reporting always playing music during sessions and using body-oriented, psychodynamic, or eclectic approaches. |
LSD induces spatially structured increases in alpha and beta peak frequencies, flattens aperiodic 1/f slope, and increases neural signal fractality and complexity, with machine learning identifying these as key discriminators of the psychedelic state.
RCT (within-subject, placebo-controlled)
The review synthesizes data showing significant therapeutic potential of LSD and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, end-of-life distress, and substance use disorders when combined with psychotherapy.
systematic review
Low-dose 1cp-LSD combined with ethological intervention significantly enhanced sociability, calmness, and positive emotional reactivity in shelter dogs, with benefits persisting for three weeks post-treatment.
RCT (blinded) Sample size: 20
LSD (26 μg) increased late positive potential amplitude to loss feedback in depressed participants, associated with acute positive mood and lower depressed mood 48 hours later.
RCT (within-subject, placebo-controlled) Sample size: 39
The review outlines complications associated with classic psychedelics, including acute, subacute, and long-term effects, and emphasizes the need for awareness and management of risks.
review
Microdosing of LSD and psilocybin showed a significant decrease in cognitive control, with no detectable effects on other cognitive domains, and no moderation by substance type, dose, or duration.
meta-analysis Sample size: 1614
The review found limited primary human evidence on prenatal exposure to LSD and other psychedelics, identifying significant evidence gaps for perinatal counseling and pharmacovigilance.
scoping review
The editorial highlights promising therapeutic effects of psychedelic-assisted therapies for treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and substance use disorders, but notes regulatory, methodological, and ethical challenges.
editorial
A progressive increase in LSD identifications in blotters was observed from 2014 to 2024, while NPS identifications decreased over time.
observational (forensic analysis) Sample size: 1656
The study emphasizes the importance of including caregivers in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials due to the bidirectional relationship in wellbeing between cancer dyads.
qualitative
LSD shows occupancy at the 5-HT2A receptor and global functional connectivity effects in healthy participants, with pre-registered methods.
preprint (figure/study protocol)
A 16-year-old developed hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) after recreational LSD use, with symptoms exacerbated by trauma.
case report Sample size: 1
LSD and psilocybin effects on cerebral blood flow and global functional connectivity are presented, with pre-registered methods for LSD data.
preprint (figure/study protocol)
The review finds that the effect of hallucinogens like LSD on aggression and violence risk remains inconclusive, with individual risk factors needing further research.
review
Swiss physicians use LSD (65.9%) primarily for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain, with most reporting always playing music during sessions and using body-oriented, psychodynamic, or eclectic approaches.
survey Sample size: 41
Points of agreement
- LSD alters brain dynamics (increased peak frequencies, flattened aperiodic slope, increased complexity) and affects reward processing in depressed individuals.
- LSD shows therapeutic potential for psychiatric disorders when combined with psychotherapy, as supported by systematic reviews and clinical surveys.
- Microdosing of LSD does not enhance cognitive performance and may impair cognitive control.
Conflicts
- One study (28054) finds microdosing decreases cognitive control, while another (28052) finds positive effects on reward processing and mood in depressed individuals, suggesting domain-specific effects.
- The systematic review (18109) highlights therapeutic benefits, but the editorial (27906) and review (24809) caution about methodological limitations and potential complications.
Gaps
- Durability of LSD's therapeutic effects beyond short-term follow-up is not established.
- Safety and efficacy in special populations (e.g., pregnant women, adolescents) are understudied.
- Blinding and placebo control are challenging in psychedelic research, introducing potential bias.
- Optimal dosing, frequency, and long-term risks (e.g., HPPD, violence risk) remain unclear.