January 2026
LSD
What January 2026's 16 new studies found, synthesized from the papers below. All LSD research →
The synthesis
Synthesized from 16 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 spans neurophysiological, clinical, and safety domains. Neuroimaging studies show LSD reliably alters cortical dynamics (e.g., increased alpha/beta peak frequencies, flattened aperiodic slope, increased complexity) and modulates reward-related brain activity in depressed individuals, but a meta-analysis found microdosing significantly decreased cognitive control with no other cognitive benefits. Evidence for therapeutic efficacy remains promising but inconsistent, with significant caveats regarding safety, long-term effects, and methodological limitations.
Evidence by study
Direction is which way each study's own result points, not our rating of the study.
What the directions mean
- Supports:
- the study found the intervention worked, or its hypothesis held.
- Opposes:
- it found the opposite, no benefit or a harm.
- No effect:
- no significant difference either way.
- Mixed:
- effects in both directions within the same study.
- Unclear:
- the abstract does not report a direction.
| Study | Design | Sample size | Direction | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSD Reconfigures Cortical Dynamics Through Faster Brain Rhythms and Increased Fractal Dimension 2026 | placebo-controlled trial with music condition | Supports | LSD induced spatially structured increases in alpha and beta peak frequencies, genuine attenuation of oscillatory power, flattened aperiodic 1/f slope, and increased neural signal fractality and complexity, with music not amplifying these effects. | |
| THE PSYCHEDELIC RENAISSANCE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PSILOCYBIN AND LSD IN THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS 2026 | systematic review | Supports | Psychedelic-assisted therapy with psilocybin and LSD shows significant therapeutic potential in treatment-resistant depression, end-of-life existential distress, and substance use disorders, representing a shift from chronic symptom management to rapid episodic interventions. | |
| Evaluation of 1cp-LSD for Enhancing Welfare in Shelter Dogs: A Randomized Blind Trial with Ethological Intervention. 2026 | randomized controlled trial | 20 | Supports | Combined low-dose 1cp-LSD and ethological intervention improved sociability, calmness, and positive emotional reactivity in shelter dogs more than either treatment alone, with effects lasting three weeks. |
| Reward-related neural activity after low doses of LSD in participants with depressed mood. 2026 | randomized controlled trial | 39 | Supports | LSD increased late positive potential amplitude to loss feedback only in participants with higher baseline depressed mood, and this effect was associated with acute positive mood and lower depressed mood 48 hours later. |
| Lysergic acid diethylamide modulates hippocampal and cortical local field potential oscillatory rhythms in male mice 2026 | preclinical in vivo electrophysiological study | Supports | LSD caused a global decrease in power spectral density in broadband and narrow band oscillatory rhythms of the ventral hippocampus CA1 and CA3 regions, with less robust effects in cortical areas. | |
| Classifying Psychedelic-Related Complications 2026 | review | Unclear | Classic psychedelics carry overlooked risks and complications that unfold across acute, subacute, and long-term phases, necessitating a nuanced classification to balance therapeutic benefits with harm minimization. | |
| Effects of psychedelic microdosing on cognitive functions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2026 | meta-analysis | 1614 | Opposes | Microdosing classical psychedelics significantly decreased cognitive control with no detectable effects on other cognitive domains. |
| A Promise Without Panacea: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies in Modern Psychiatry. 2026 | editorial | Unclear | Argues that psychedelic-assisted therapies show therapeutic potential but require responsible integration addressing regulatory, methodological, ethical, and access challenges. | |
| Chemical profile of synthetic drugs seized in Paraná State (Brazil): Possible decline of new psychoactive substances. 2026 | observational study | 4911 | Unclear | The chemical profile of synthetic drugs in Paraná is diverse and resilient, with MDA dominating ecstasy tablets, NBOH series dominating blotters, and an overall decrease in NPS identifications over time coinciding with stricter legislative controls. |
| It’s all about the relationship: The caregiver experience of supporting a person with advanced cancer going through an LSD microdosing trial 2026 | theoretical or philosophical paper | Unclear | Argues that caregivers should be included alongside patients in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials for cancer-related distress because of the bidirectional relationship in well-being between cancer dyads. | |
| LSD 5-HT2A receptor occupancy and global functional connectivity effects 2026 | pre-registered protocol | Supports | LSD occupies the serotonin 2A receptor and alters global functional connectivity in healthy humans. | |
| Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder in adolescence: a complex case of lysergic acid diethylamide-induced visual disturbances with trauma-associated exacerbation 2026 | case study | 1 | Mixed | In a 16-year-old with HPPD after LSD use, Levetiracetam showed initial and eventual good response when combined with substance abstinence, while Lamotrigine had no response. |
| LSD and psilocybin effects on cerebral blood flow and global functional connectivity 2026 | observational cohort | Supports | LSD and psilocybin induce peak effects on cerebral blood flow and global functional connectivity, with within-subject associations between these measures assessed via Spearman's rank correlation. | |
| Contextualizing Violence Risk Associated With Hallucinogens 2026 | review | Unclear | The effect of psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA on aggression and violence risk remains inconclusive, and individual risk factors for violence among users need further study. | |
| Psychedelic-assisted therapy: a survey on the clinical methods of Swiss physicians. 2026 | survey | 41 | Unclear | Psychedelic-assisted therapy in Switzerland is provided primarily in private practice settings, uses psilocybin most often, and matches substance choice to diagnosis, with depression treated mainly with psilocybin and PTSD with MDMA. |
| Psychedelic exposure in pregnancy: a scoping review to inform perinatal drug safety and clinical counseling. 2026 | scoping review | Unclear | Human evidence on prenatal psychedelic exposure remains sparse and methodologically constrained, with no eligible pregnancy outcome studies for psilocybin or DMT/ayahuasca. |
LSD induced spatially structured increases in alpha and beta peak frequencies, genuine attenuation of oscillatory power, flattened aperiodic 1/f slope, and increased neural signal fractality and complexity, with music not amplifying these effects.
placebo-controlled trial with music condition
Psychedelic-assisted therapy with psilocybin and LSD shows significant therapeutic potential in treatment-resistant depression, end-of-life existential distress, and substance use disorders, representing a shift from chronic symptom management to rapid episodic interventions.
systematic review
Combined low-dose 1cp-LSD and ethological intervention improved sociability, calmness, and positive emotional reactivity in shelter dogs more than either treatment alone, with effects lasting three weeks.
randomized controlled trial Sample size: 20
LSD increased late positive potential amplitude to loss feedback only in participants with higher baseline depressed mood, and this effect was associated with acute positive mood and lower depressed mood 48 hours later.
randomized controlled trial Sample size: 39
LSD caused a global decrease in power spectral density in broadband and narrow band oscillatory rhythms of the ventral hippocampus CA1 and CA3 regions, with less robust effects in cortical areas.
preclinical in vivo electrophysiological study
Classic psychedelics carry overlooked risks and complications that unfold across acute, subacute, and long-term phases, necessitating a nuanced classification to balance therapeutic benefits with harm minimization.
review
Microdosing classical psychedelics significantly decreased cognitive control with no detectable effects on other cognitive domains.
meta-analysis Sample size: 1614
Argues that psychedelic-assisted therapies show therapeutic potential but require responsible integration addressing regulatory, methodological, ethical, and access challenges.
editorial
The chemical profile of synthetic drugs in Paraná is diverse and resilient, with MDA dominating ecstasy tablets, NBOH series dominating blotters, and an overall decrease in NPS identifications over time coinciding with stricter legislative controls.
observational study Sample size: 4911
Argues that caregivers should be included alongside patients in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials for cancer-related distress because of the bidirectional relationship in well-being between cancer dyads.
theoretical or philosophical paper
LSD occupies the serotonin 2A receptor and alters global functional connectivity in healthy humans.
pre-registered protocol
In a 16-year-old with HPPD after LSD use, Levetiracetam showed initial and eventual good response when combined with substance abstinence, while Lamotrigine had no response.
case study Sample size: 1
LSD and psilocybin induce peak effects on cerebral blood flow and global functional connectivity, with within-subject associations between these measures assessed via Spearman's rank correlation.
observational cohort
The effect of psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA on aggression and violence risk remains inconclusive, and individual risk factors for violence among users need further study.
review
Psychedelic-assisted therapy in Switzerland is provided primarily in private practice settings, uses psilocybin most often, and matches substance choice to diagnosis, with depression treated mainly with psilocybin and PTSD with MDMA.
survey Sample size: 41
Human evidence on prenatal psychedelic exposure remains sparse and methodologically constrained, with no eligible pregnancy outcome studies for psilocybin or DMT/ayahuasca.
scoping review
Points of agreement
- LSD alters neural oscillations and connectivity, including increased alpha/beta peak frequencies and decreased power.
- LSD shows potential therapeutic effects in depression and other psychiatric conditions.
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy requires careful consideration of risks and methodological challenges.
Conflicts
- Microdosing meta-analysis found decreased cognitive control, while other studies suggest cognitive benefits.
- Some studies emphasize therapeutic potential, while others highlight overlooked risks and complications.
Gaps
- Long-term durability of effects is not well established.
- Blinding and placebo controls are often inadequate in psychedelic trials.
- Diverse populations (e.g., pregnant women, adolescents) are understudied.
- Dose-response relationships and optimal dosing protocols remain unclear.
- Standardized outcome measures and methodologies are lacking across studies.