The effect of psychedelic microdosing on animal behavior: A review with recommendations for the field
Rotem Petranker, Benjamin Tsang, Omer A. Syed
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews May 9, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106204 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats, mice, and zebrafish |
| Interventions | LSD psilocybin DMT |
| Topics | Microdosing |
| Keywords | Animal testing Pharmacology |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Microdosing caused little change in anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors across three animal species. |
Abstract
Microdosing, the repeated use of psychedelic substances at low doses, is growing in popularity among recreational consumers. While this practice is associated with many benefits to mood, well-being and health, research in this area is in its early stages and predominantly centered on human applications. In this narrative review, we synthesize the findings from studies investigating the effects of microdosing on the behaviors of three animal species: rats, mice, and zebrafish. A total of 12 studies were identified that implemented a microdosing regimen of LSD, psilocybin, or DMT in these animal models. Overall, microdosing caused little changes in behaviors associated with anxiety- and depressive-like states. Moreover, while microdosing was well-tolerated across species, further research is needed to capture specific safety concerns. Finally, we critically appraise the studies included in this review based on their methodologies and discuss further avenues of research to advance the preclinical literature on psychedelic microdosing. Specifically, we recommend that future research prioritize the replication of existing findings to inform the development of robust study designs and dosing protocols, as well as establish standardized methodologies to enable effective comparisons across different animal models. Furthermore, future investigations should explore the therapeutic potential of mescaline microdosing, examine sex-dependent effects, and extend research to additional models of psychiatric conditions, including those related to obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on microdosing, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocin and ketamine microdosing: effects of subchronic intermittent microdoses in the elevated plus-maze in male Wistar rats Wistar rats | 2018 | Experimental study | n = 40 |
| Repeated low doses of psilocybin increase resilience to stress, lower compulsive actions, and strengthen cortical connections to the paraventricular thalamic nucleus in rats. Rats | 2023 | Experimental study | |
| Repeated microdoses of LSD do not alter anxiety or boldness in zebrafish. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) | 2024 | Experimental study | |
| Application of microarray patches for the transdermal administration of psychedelic drugs in micro-doses. Excised neonatal porcine skin and rats | 2025 | Experimental study | |
| Toward Predicting Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient Response to 7 + 3 Induction Chemotherapy via Diagnostic Microdosing Paired sensitive and resistant cancer cell lines, AML cell lines, and 10 viably... | 2018 | Preclinical cell line study with a pilot retrospective analysis of primary patient samples | n = 10 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Ayahuasca modulation of traumatic-like fear memories requires infralimbic cortex BDNF-dependent mechanisms in rats. European Neuropsychopharmacology February 1, 2026
- The subtle science: a systematic review of psilocybin magic mushroom and truffle microdosing Frontiers in Psychiatry August 19, 2026
- Where is the sweet spot for psychedelic-enhanced fear extinction? An integrative quantitative synthesis of dose-effect patterns in rodent models. Journal of Psychopharmacology August 3, 2026
Cites 114
- Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression. New England Journal of Medicine November 3, 2022
- Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. Pharmacology & Therapeutics May 1, 2019
- Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels Neuropsychopharmacology January 26, 2019
- Set and setting, psychedelics and the placebo response: An extra-pharmacological perspective on psychopharmacology Journal of Psychopharmacology November 16, 2016
- Harnessing psilocybin: antidepressant-like behavioral and synaptic actions of psilocybin are independent of 5-HT2R activation in mice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 13, 2021
and 109 more in the library