This double-blind, randomized trial (n=60) conducted by Maastricht University Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, explores the effects of repeated doses of LSD (15µg) on mood, cognition, and neuroplasticity in healthy volunteers.
The study, published on 17-06-2020 and last updated on 13-12-2022, hypothesizes that the LSD group will show an increase in positive mood and subjective effects after four weeks of repeated dosing with 15 µg LSD compared to the placebo group.
The secondary objectives include examining induced cognitive performance and increased neuroplasticity. LSD is a psychedelic substance known for acute transient alterations in waking consciousness, and recent observations suggest its repeated use in low doses (microdosing) for mood enhancement.
The study aims to fill gaps in understanding the acute and sub-acute effects of a repeated microdosing schedule for four weeks. The trial, approved by ethical review and currently recruiting, involves a 1.5-year study design with placebo and 15 µg LSD interventions.
Trial Details
Trial Number
Sponsors & Collaborators
Maastricht UniversityMaastricht University is host to the psychopharmacology department (Psychopharmacology in Maastricht) where various researchers are investigating the effects of psychedelics.
Papers
A randomised placebo-controlled study of the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide microdosing (15 μg) on pain perception in healthy volunteersThis randomised, placebo-controlled study (n=48) examining LSD microdosing (15 μg) for analgesia in healthy participants found no significant pain-relieving effects on pain tolerance or subjective pain perception using the Cold Pressor Task. LSD increased blood pressure, which correlated with pain tolerance, and post-hoc analysis in participants without ceiling effects suggested marginal improvements in pain tolerance and reduced unpleasantness only after the first dose, indicating that 15 μg may be below the threshold for consistent analgesic effects.