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William Evans

13 papers in the library · 208 citations · publishing 2003-2026

Papers

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LSD microdosing for major depressive disorder: Mood and pharmacokinetic outcomes from a Phase 2a trial

Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry February 18, 2026 Dimitri Henriques Daldegan-Bueno, C Donegan, Rachael Sumner et al. 1 citation

Results suggest short-term improvements in mood following microdosed LSD in people with depression, warranting confirmation in controlled trials. It provides the pharmacokinetic parameters of 8 μg of LSD in a sample of people with depression and indicates no tolerance or sensitisation to repeated microdoses of LSD, despite incremental dose titration.

Qualitative content analysis of expectations in participants with depression about to begin LSD microdosing treatment: Identifying the need for psychedelic expectancy measures.

Neuropharmacology December 1, 2025 Carina Joy Donegan, Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Tehseen Noorani et al. 4 citations

Expectations can impact antidepressant treatment and psychedelic therapy, often enhancing placebo effects and influencing outcomes. However, research in this context is lacking. Our study explored the expectations of participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) before microdosing lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in an open-label trial. Twenty-three individuals with MDD completed a...

Participant Experiences of Microdosed Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in a 6-Week Randomised Controlled Trial

Journal of Humanistic Psychology November 10, 2025 Robin J Murphy, Mia Wardlaw, Thomas A. Smith et al.

Microdosing psychedelics is an increasingly popular phenomenon where small amounts of psychedelic drugs are taken regularly. Qualitative data have been published regarding the experiences of microdosers, but never in the context of a randomised controlled trial. Semi-structured video interviews with 40 healthy males were conducted following a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 10 µg of...

LSD microdosing in major depressive disorder: results from an open-label trial

Neuropharmacology November 5, 2025 Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, C Donegan, Rachael Sumner et al. 4 citations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects approximately 5 % of the global population. Classic psychedelics have shown promise in treating various mental health disorders. This study evaluated the feasibility and tolerability of an 8-week regimen of microdosed lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) as a treatment for major depressive disorder in an open-label phase 2A trial (LSDDEP1). Nineteen...

155. EXPLORING LSD MICRODOSING IN AN OPEN-LABEL PILOT FOR MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: THE INTERPLAY OF BEHAVIORAL ACTIVATION, MOOD IMPROVEMENT, AND CONNECTEDNESS

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology August 1, 2025 C Donegan, D Daldagen-Bueno, Robin J Murphy et al.

Abstract Background Depressive disorders affect about 280 million people worldwide, with many struggling to find effective relief. Conventional antidepressants are widely prescribed but often lack efficacy and have side effects, leaving many patients dissatisfied or untreated. Concurrently, psychedelic therapies have gained momentum in both research and ‘in the wild’, with emerging evidence...

LSDDEP2: study protocol for a randomised, double-dummy, triple-blind, active placebo-controlled, parallel groups trial of LSD microdosing in patients with major depressive disorder.

Trials August 24, 2024 Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Carina Joy Donegan, Anna Forsyth et al. 14 citations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) poses a significant global health burden with available treatments limited by inconsistent efficacy and notable side effects. Classic psychedelics, including lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), have garnered attention for their potential in treating psychiatric disorders. Microdosing, the repeated consumption of sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics, has emerged...

LSD increases sleep duration the night after microdosing.

Translational Psychiatry April 15, 2024 Nathan Allen, Aron Jeremiah, Robin J Murphy et al. 15 citations

Microdosing psychedelic drugs at a level below the threshold to induce hallucinations is an increasingly common lifestyle practice. However, the effects of microdosing on sleep have not been previously reported. Here, we report results from a Phase 1 randomized controlled trial in which 80 healthy adult male volunteers received a 6-week course of either LSD (10 µg) or placebo with doses...

An open-label pilot trial assessing tolerability and feasibility of LSD microdosing in patients with major depressive disorder (LSDDEP1).

Pilot and Feasibility Studies October 5, 2023 Carina Joy Donegan, Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Rachael Sumner et al. 23 citations

Globally, an estimated 260 million people suffer from depression [1], and there is a clear need for the development of new, alternative antidepressant therapies. In light of problems with the tolerability and efficacy of available treatments [2], a global trend is emerging for patients to self-treat depression with microdoses of psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and...

Acute Mood-Elevating Properties of Microdosed Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Volunteers: A Home-Administered Randomized Controlled Trial.

Biological Psychiatry September 15, 2023 Robin J Murphy, Rachael Sumner, William Evans et al. 69 citations

Microdosing psychedelic drugs is a widespread social phenomenon with diverse benefits claimed for mood and cognition. Randomized controlled trials have failed to support these claims, but the laboratory-based dosing in trials conducted to date may have limited ecological validity. Healthy male volunteers were randomized into lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) (n = 40) and placebo (n = 40) groups...

The perceptions of cancer health-care practitioners in New Zealand and the USA toward psychedelic-assisted therapy with cancer patients: A cross-sectional survey

Palliative & Supportive Care November 3, 2022 Lisa Reynolds, Brian S. Barnett, Jeremy Weleff et al. 19 citations

Abstract Objectives A resurgence of research investigating the administration of psychedelic compounds alongside psychotherapy suggests that this treatment is a promising intervention for anxiety, depression, and existential distress in people with cancer. However, psychedelic treatment that induces a mind-altering experience potentially poses barriers to vulnerable cancer patients, and...

Cancer Healthcare Workers’ Perceptions toward Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: A Preliminary Investigation

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health August 2, 2021 Lisa Reynolds, Amelia Akroyd, Frederick Sundram et al. 33 citations

Recent clinical trials suggest that psychedelic-assisted therapy is a promising intervention for reducing anxiety and depression and ameliorating existential despair in advanced cancer patients. However, little is known about perceptions toward this treatment from the key gatekeepers to this population. The current study aimed to understand the perceptions of cancer healthcare professionals...

MDLSD: study protocol for a randomised, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial of repeated microdoses of LSD in healthy volunteers

Trials April 23, 2021 Robin J Murphy, Rachael Sumner, William Evans et al. 23 citations

BACKGROUND: Regular ingestion of sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics, referred to as "microdosing", has gained increasing popularity and attention in the press and in online forums, with reported benefits across multiple cognitive and emotional domains. Rigorously controlled studies to date, however, have been limited in scope and have failed to produce results comparable to those reported...

Validity and reliability of the Near-Death Experience Scale-6 (NDE-6).

The Journal of near-death studies 2003 Kevin P. Prosnick, William J. Evans 3 citations

Research study reporting the development and psychometric properties of a 6-item Near-Death Experience Scale (NDE-6) drawn largely from the 16-item parent scale. This short form evidenced adequate test-retest reliability and internal consistency, as well as construct validity. The index shows promise for use in research and as a screening scale in clinical contexts.