Lysergic acid diethylamide: In search of the wonder drug
Mihai Avram, Felix Müller, Stefan Borgwardt
Psychedelics as Psychiatric Medications March 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/med/9780192863607.003.0005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | LSD |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | LSD can be administered safely in clinical contexts, has no long-lasting negative effects in healthy volunteers at moderate to high doses, and may have therapeutic potential for anxiety, though its efficacy for mental disorders remains uncertain. |
Abstract
Abstract Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent perception-altering chemical. Since the discovery of its effects almost eighty years ago, LSD has been revered and demonized. Before its ban in the late 1960s, LSD was used to model aspects of psychosis and treat distinct mental disorders such as alcohol addiction and anxiety. The new wave of research on psychedelics as potential treatments for mental disorders has revived interest in LSD. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that LSD can be administered safely in a clinical context in healthy volunteers and various clinical groups. While research continues, small studies have identified potential therapeutic uses for LSD in tackling anxiety. LSD has a complex mechanism of action, affecting several neurotransmitter systems, but evidence indicates that its perception-altering effects are elicited via agonism at the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor (5-HT2A). Modern neuroimaging studies have revealed that LSD enhances signal diversity and complexity in the human brain. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have shown that LSD decreases the resting-state fMRI connectivity within several intrinsic brain networks while simultaneously increasing between-network connectivity, including aspects of thalamocortical connectivity. Recent evidence indicates that moderate to high doses of LSD have no long-lasting negative effects in healthy volunteers when administered in a clinical setting. Moreover, long-lasting positive outcomes have been reported for healthy volunteers. Whether LSD is a potential wonder drug to be used in treating various mental disorders is yet to be determined. Current studies are exploring putative therapeutic effects in several clinical populations, ranging from anxiety disorders and depression to cluster headaches.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study of a New Schizophrenomimetic Drug—Sernyl | 1959 | Review | |
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| The Pharmacology of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: A Review | 2008 | Review | |
| Serotonin research: contributions to understanding psychoses | 2008 | Review | |
| ADVERSE REACTIONS TO PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE | 1984 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 32
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
- Safety and Efficacy of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated With Life-threatening Diseases The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease March 4, 2014
- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Psychopharmacology March 8, 2012
- Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution. Current Biology April 13, 2016
and 27 more in the library