Sporadic use of classic psychedelics and neuropsychological performance: A cross-sectional analysis.
Simon Reiche, Tim Hirschfeld, Anna Lena Gröticke, Marie Traub, Nicklas Jakob Hafiz, Rico Haas, Lara Sedlaczek, Linda Ortlieb, Georg Leistenschneider, Lukas A Basedow, Andrea Lohse, Felix Bermpohl, Thomas Günther Riemer, Tomislav Majić
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry April 2, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111353 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional, exploratory study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 136 |
| Population | Individuals aged 18-50 with mild to moderate lifetime use of psychedelics and matched controls |
| Topics | LSD Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Cognitive flexibility Neuropsychological performance Psychedelics hallucinogens Entheogens Brain function Executive function Problem solving |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Sporadic lifetime use of classic psychedelics was associated with modestly superior executive function, especially cognitive flexibility on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, with no detected negative cognitive effects. |
Abstract
Evidence on the neuropsychological consequences of classic psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca is conflicting, and little is known about how sporadic use of psychedelics under naturalistic conditions may affect cognitive functioning. Given the growing interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and the rise in non-medical use, further exploration into their neuropsychological effects is needed. This cross-sectional, exploratory study employed a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery to assess cognitive domains such as executive function, memory, attention, and visuospatial abilities among individuals with mild to moderate lifetime use of psychedelics. Analyses compared all users to non-users, moderate users to matched controls, and adjusted dose-response analyses were conducted within the users group. From 2611 screened individuals, N = 136 participants (84 psychedelic users and 52 controls) were included. Participants were aged 18-50 years. Neuropsychological performance was broadly equivalent between users and controls. However, matched-pair analyses showed that psychedelic users had a modest advantage in executive functions, especially superior performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) (p < .05). Dose-response analyses further corroborated these findings, indicating a positive association between lifetime psychedelic use and performance on the WCST, specifically total errors (p < .001), perseverative responses (p < .001), perseverative errors (p < .001), non-perseverative errors (p = .008), and conceptual level responses (p = .004). The study did not detect any negative associations between sporadic lifetime psychedelic use and cognition. Instead, a moderate association with executive functioning was found, indicating increased cognitive flexibility in users. Dose-response analyses further supported this relationship.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on LSD, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Psychedelics do not always enhance cognitive flexibility: The potential role of time-varying effects on reward learning processes Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews May 30, 2026
- Psychedelics and Mental Health in Endurance Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study in Brazil. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs March 20, 2026
- Effects of naturalistic psychedelic use on executive functioning: An online survey of lifetime history and recent use in university students. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry August 11, 2026
- Characterising the clinical associations of hallucinogen persisting perceptual disorder: a retrospective cohort study
Cites 33
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- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
- Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. Pharmacology & Therapeutics May 1, 2019
and 28 more in the library