23 papers in the library · 1,226 citations · publishing 2017-2025
Br J Pain September 4, 2025 Mauro Cavarra, Nadia R. P. W. Hutten, Jan Schepers et al.
A randomised placebo-controlled study of the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide microdosing (15 μg) on pain perception in healthy volunteers.
Addiction (Abingdon, England) 2025 Leigh Coney, Amy Peacock, Daan van der Gouwe et al. 8 citations
Drugs sold on cryptomarkets are thought to have lower levels of adulteration and higher strength compared with those sourced off-line. The present study aimed to determine whether cryptomarket and off-line-sourced 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine (MDMA), cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) differed in adulteration and strength. A between-groups design...
Translational Psychiatry July 15, 2024 Nadia R. P. W. Hutten, Conny W E M Quaedflieg, Natasha L. Mason et al. 16 citations
The repeated use of small doses of psychedelics (also referred to as "microdosing") to facilitate benefits in mental health, cognition, and mood is a trending practice. Placebo-controlled studies however have largely failed to demonstrate strong benefits, possibly because of large inter-individual response variability. The current study tested the hypothesis that effects of low doses of LSD on...
Brain Behavior and Immunity September 7, 2023 Natasha L. Mason, Attila Szabo, Kim P. C. Kuypers et al. 83 citations
Patients characterized by stress-related disorders such as depression display elevated circulating concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines and a hyperactive HPA axis. Psychedelics are demonstrating promising results in treatment of such disorders, however the mechanisms of their therapeutic effects are still unknown. To date the evidence of acute and persisting effects of psychedelics on...
medRxiv November 1, 2022 Natasha L. Mason, Attila Szabo, Kim P. C. Kuypers et al. 6 citations preprint
Abstract Patients characterized by stress-related disorders such as depression display elevated circulating concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines and a hyperactive HPA axis. Psychedelics are demonstrating promising results in treatment of such disorders, however the mechanisms of their therapeutic effects are still unknown. To date the evidence of acute and persisting effects of...
Psychopharmacology October 13, 2022 Nadia R. P. W. Hutten, Thomas R. Arkell, Frederick Vinckenbosch et al. 36 citations
RATIONALE: Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an active component of cannabis, can cause anxiety in some users during intoxication. Cannabidiol (CBD), another constituent of cannabis, has anxiolytic properties suggesting that cannabis products containing CBD in addition to THC may produce less anxiety than THC-only products. Findings to date around this issue have been inconclusive and could...
Psychopharmacology January 26, 2021 Eef L. Theunissen, Johannes T. Reckweg, Nadia R. P. W. Hutten et al. 20 citations
BACKGROUND: Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are the largest class of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) and are associated with an increased risk of overdosing and adverse events such as psychosis. JWH-018 is one of the earliest SCs and still widely available in large parts of the world. Controlled studies to assess the safety and behavioural profiles of SCs are extremely scarce. AIM: The current...
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology November 1, 2020 Natasha L. Mason, K P C Kuypers, F Müller et al. 261 citations
There is growing interest in the therapeutic utility of psychedelic substances, like psilocybin, for disorders characterized by distortions of the self-experience, like depression. Accumulating preclinical evidence emphasizes the role of the glutamate system in the acute action of the drug on brain and behavior; however this has never been tested in humans. Following a double-blind,...
European Neuropsychopharmacology October 17, 2020 Nadia R. P. W. Hutten, Natasha L. Mason, Patrick C. Dolder et al. 121 citations
There is a popular interest in microdosing with psychedelics such as LSD. This practice of using one-tenth of a full psychedelic dose according to a specific dosing schedule, anecdotally enhances mood and performance. Nonetheless, controlled research on the efficacy of microdosing is scarce. The main objective of the present dose-finding study was to determine the minimal dose of LSD needed to...
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics September 25, 2020 Friederike Holze, Matthias E. Liechti, Nadia R. P. W. Hutten et al. 63 citations
“Microdoses” of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) are used recreationally to enhance mood and cognition. Increasing interest has also been seen in developing LSD into a medication. Therefore, we performed a pharmacokinetic‐pharmacodynamic study using very low doses of LSD. Single doses of LSD base (5, 10, and 20 µg) and placebo were administered in a double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled...
ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science August 31, 2020 Nadia R. P. W. Hutten, Natasha L. Mason, Patrick C. Dolder et al. 134 citations
Despite preclinical evidence for psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity, confirmation in humans is grossly lacking. Given the increased interest in using low doses of psychedelics for psychiatric indications and the importance of neuroplasticity in the therapeutic response, this placebo-controlled within-subject study investigated the effect of single low doses of LSD (5, 10, and 20 μg) on...
Journal of Psychopharmacology August 25, 2020 Johannes G. Ramaekers, Nadia R. P. W. Hutten, Natasha L. Mason et al. 95 citations
Background: Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is an ergot alkaloid derivative with psychedelic properties that has been implicated in the management of persistent pain. Clinical studies in the 1960s and 1970s have demonstrated profound analgesic effects of full doses of LSD in terminally ill patients, but this line of research evaporated after LSD was scheduled worldwide. Aim: The present...
Addiction Biology December 22, 2019 Natasha L. Mason, Eef L. Theunissen, Nadia R. P. W. Hutten et al. 58 citations
Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the world. However, because of a changing legal landscape and rising interest in therapeutic utility, there is an increasing trend in (long-term) use and possibly cannabis impairment. Importantly, a growing body of evidence suggests that regular cannabis users develop tolerance to the impairing, as well as the rewarding, effects of the drug....
European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology December 1, 2019 Natasha L. Mason, Eef L. Theunissen, Nadia R. P. W. Hutten et al.
Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug and is known to alter state of consciousness and impair neurocognitive function. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects have yet to be fully elucidated. Rodent studies suggest that Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) activates dopaminergic neurons in the limbic system, subsequently enhancing dopamine, which is implicated in the rewarding...
Frontiers in Psychiatry September 13, 2019 Nadia R. P. W. Hutten, Natasha L. Mason, Patrick C. Dolder et al. 78 citations
Background: There is a growing interest in the use of psychedelic substances for health related purposes, including symptom relief for disorders like anxiety, depression, and pain. Although the focus of recent clinical trials has been on high doses of these substances, anecdotal evidence suggests that low (micro) doses are also effective, and may be more suitable for certain conditions....
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) July 19, 2019 Natasha L. Mason, Eef L. Theunissen, Nadia R. P. W. Hutten et al. 4 citations preprint
Abstract Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the world. However due to a changing legal landscape, and rising interest in therapeutic utility, there is an increasing trend in (long-term) use and possibly, cannabis impairment. Importantly, a growing body of evidence suggests regular cannabis users develop tolerance to the impairing, as well as the rewarding, effects of the drug....
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology May 30, 2019 Nadia R. P. W. Hutten, Natasha L. Mason, Patrick C. Dolder et al. 132 citations
Abstract Background Microdosing with psychedelics has gained considerable media attention where it is portrayed as a performance enhancer, especially popular on the work floor. While reports are in general positive, scientific evidence about potential negative effects is lacking aside from the prevalence and motives for use. The present study addressed this gap by surveying psychedelic users...
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research February 27, 2019 Eef L. Theunissen, Nadia R. P. W. Hutten, Natasha L. Mason et al. 22 citations
Abstract Introduction: Synthetic cannabinoid mixtures have been easily accessible for years, leading to the belief that these products were natural and harmless, which contributed to their popularity. Nevertheless, there are many reports of users ending up in hospital due to severe side effects such as tachycardia, aggression, and psychosis. Controlled studies on the effects of synthetic...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs January 24, 2019 Kim P. C. Kuypers, E. B. de Sousa Fernandes Perna, Eef L. Theunissen et al. 13 citations
The phenethylamine 4-fluoroamphetamine (4-FA) is a so-called novel psychoactive substance with a chemical structure resembling that of amphetamine and MDMA. Since 4-FA users report their subjective experience ranges between the effects induced by amphetamine and MDMA, and it is known that both substances can produce an altered state of consciousness, this study tests whether 4-FA induces a...
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental October 25, 2018 Patrick C. Dolder, Elizabeth B. de Sousa Fernandes Perna, Natasha L. Mason et al. 6 citations
OBJECTIVES: 4-Fluoroamphetamine (4-FA) is a novel psychoactive substance with a pharmacological profile and reported subjective effects (e.g., empathy) intermediate between 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and amphetamine. Studies have shown that MDMA and amphetamine increase emotional empathy without affecting cognitive empathy; MDMA simultaneously leads to elevated levels of oxytocin,...
Frontiers in Pharmacology July 6, 2018 Elizabeth B. de Sousa Fernandes Perna, Eef L. Theunissen, Patrick C. Dolder et al. 18 citations
Availability of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) exponentially increased over the last years. Risk evaluations of NPS are hampered by the lack of pharmacological studies in humans on health parameters. The aim of the present study was Tto evaluate safety and neurocognitive function of healthy volunteers (N=12) who received single doses of 100 and 150 mg 4-fluoroamphetamine (4-FA), a...
Psychopharmacology May 31, 2018 Kim P. C. Kuypers, E. B. de Sousa Fernandes Perna, Patrick C. Dolder et al. 14 citations
BACKGROUND: New psychoactive substances (NPS) are chemical analogues designed to mimic the effects of various classic recreational drugs of abuse including MDMA, LSD, and cannabis. NPS use is associated with concern about the acute and longer-term effects particular substances might have, with abuse and addiction as potential consequences. Impulsivity and sensitivity to the rewarding effects of...
British Journal of Pharmacology November 22, 2017 Eef L. Theunissen, Nadia R. P. W. Hutten, Natasha L. Mason et al. 38 citations
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Synthetic cannabinoids (often sold as Spice or K2) have become a very popular alternative to cannabis due to their easy access and portrayed safety. Controlled studies on the behavioural effects of synthetic cannabinoids are currently lacking, which hampers risk assessments of these compounds. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: This is a first attempt to assess the influence of a...