Psychedelic Medicine

Association

Dose-response relationships of LSD-induced subjective experiences in humans

Excerpts from the publication

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent classic serotonergic psychedelic, which facilitates a variety of altered states of consciousness. Here we present the first meta-analysis establishing dose-response relationship estimates of the altered states of consciousness induced by LSD. Data extracted from articles identified by a systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines were obtained from the Altered States Database. The psychometric data comprised ratings of subjective effects from standardized and validated questionnaires: the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (5D-ASC, 11-ASC) and the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30). We performed meta-regression analyses using restricted cubic splines for data from studies with LSD doses of up to 200 μg base. Most scales revealed a sigmoid-like increase of effects, with a plateauing at around 100 μg. The most strongly modulated factors referred to changes in perception and illusory imagination, followed by positively experienced ego-dissolution, while only small effects were found for Anxiety and Dread of Ego Dissolution. The considerable variability observed in most factors and scales points to the role of non-pharmacological factors in shaping subjective experiences. The established dose-response relationships may be used as general references for future experimental and clinical research on LSD to compare observed with expected subjective effects and to elucidate phenomenological differences between psychedelics.

Read more

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Oral Psilocybin Administration in Healthy Participants

Increases in Psychological Flexibility Mediate Relationship Between Acute Psychedelic Effects and Decreases in Racial Trauma Symptoms Among People of Color

Comparative acute effects of mescaline, lysergic acid diethylamide, and psilocybin in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study in healthy participants

Antidepressant mechanisms of ketamine: a review of actions with relevance to treatment-resistance and neuroprogression

Ketamine reduces the neural distinction between self- and other-produced affective touch – a double-blind placebo-controlled study

Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial