The therapeutic potential of microdosing psychedelics in depression
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology 2020 DOI: 10.1177/2045125320950567 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Placebo-controlled Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy volunteers and patient samples |
| Interventions | LSD psilocybin |
| Dose | LSD 10–20 mcg, psilocybin <1–3 mg |
| Topics | Depression Microdosing |
| Keywords | Depression economics Pharmacology |
| Citations | 83 |
| Key findings | Low doses of LSD and psilocybin produce subtle cognitive and emotional effects and are well tolerated, but their therapeutic value for depression remains unproven. |
Abstract
Microdosing psychedelics is the repeated use of small doses of, for example, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin, typically for a few weeks. Despite the popular and scientific attention in recent years, and claims by users that it has therapeutic value in affective disorders like depression, little scientific knowledge is available to back this. The purpose of this review was to investigate whether there are scientific grounds to state that this practice could be helpful in the treatment of affective disorders, and safe to use repeatedly. To that end, the literature (PubMed, MedLine) was searched, looking for (controlled) experimental studies with low doses of LSD and/or psilocybin, in healthy volunteers and patient samples. After a selection process and the addition of relevant articles, 14 experimental studies entered this review. Findings show that both LSD (10–20 mcg) and psilocybin (<1–3 mg) have subtle (positive) effects on cognitive processes (time perception, convergent and divergent thinking) and brain regions involved in affective processes. Besides the pleasant experience, increased anxiety and a cycling pattern of depressive and euphoric mood were also found. With regard to safety, it was demonstrated that low doses are well tolerated (in healthy volunteers) and have no-to-minimal effects on physiological measures. While it is yet unclear whether psychedelic microdosing is of therapeutic value for depression, the aforementioned effects on selective processes suggest that low doses of psychedelics could play a role in depression by inducing some kind of cognitive flexibility, which might lead to decreased rumination. While previous studies were conducted mostly in small samples of healthy volunteers, future placebo-controlled clinical trials in depressed patients are required to understand the therapeutic value of microdosing psychedelics, how this differs from therapy using full psychedelic doses, and whether different psychedelics have different effect patterns. The proposed research will give new insights into the potential of future alternative psychiatric treatment forms that are fiercely needed.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on microdosing, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The emerging science of microdosing: A systematic review of research on low dose psychedelics (1955–2021) and recommendations for the field Human participants in microdosing studies | 2022 | Systematic review | n = 44 |
| The utility of microdosing over the past 5 years Drugs with published comparisons of microdose and therapeutic dose pharmacokinetics | 2008 | Systematic review | n = 18 |
| Potential safety, benefits, and influence of the placebo effect in microdosing psychedelic drugs: A systematic review | 2020 | Systematic review | |
| Microdosing Psychedelics: Current Evidence From Controlled Studies. Healthy adults | 2024 | Systematic review | |
| Keeping the promise: a critique of the current state of microdosing research | 2024 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 74
- Signaling snapshots of a serotonin receptor activated by the prototypical psychedelic LSD. Neuron October 5, 2022
- Microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms: a double-blind placebo-controlled study Translational Psychiatry August 2, 2022
- The emerging science of microdosing: A systematic review of research on low dose psychedelics (1955–2021) and recommendations for the field Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews May 21, 2022
- Acute Mood-Elevating Properties of Microdosed Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Volunteers: A Home-Administered Randomized Controlled Trial. Biological Psychiatry September 15, 2023
- Low Doses of Psilocybin and Ketamine Enhance Motivation and Attention in Poor Performing Rats: Evidence for an Antidepressant Property Frontiers in Pharmacology February 26, 2021
and 69 more in the library
Cites 48
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology November 8, 2017
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
- Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology January 17, 2018
- Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Psilocybin in 9 Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry November 15, 2006
and 43 more in the library