A Brief Review of Chemistry and Pharmacology of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
S. Jadhav, Trupti Ghatage, A. M. Thanekar
December 30, 2017 DOI: 10.5958/0974-360x.2017.00814.9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) |
| Topics | LSD |
| Key findings | The authors argue that preliminary animal studies and clinical trials suggest LSD may have anti-depressive, anxiolytic, hallucinogenic, and anti-addictive properties, and that it can serve as an adjunct to psychotherapy. They also contend that LSD carries severe and persistent effects in some treated patients and functions as a popular substance of abuse, while noting that some severe effects remain unclear. |
Abstract
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), is a classical hallucinogen, discovered accidentally in the middle century. It is a psychedelic drug used to treat drug abuse as it shows limited efficacy, leaving severe and persistent effects in treated patients. Preliminary studies in animals and clinical trials suggest that lysergic acid diethylamide may have anti-depressive, anxiolytic, hallucinogenic and anti-addictive properties. LSD is used as a popular and notorious substance of abuse in various parts of the world. It has an important use as an adjunct to psychotherapy. But, some severe effects were unclear and seemed to be a psychedelic enigma. In this review article, we have focused on the history, receptor pharmacology, chemistry, mechanism of action, pharmacology, applications and adverse effects of LSD on the normal human body system. We have also described its acid trip effect, addictive potentials and the chances of developing its tolerance. LSD is used in many treatments like antianxiety agent, a creativity enhancer, a performance enhancer. It is also used in drug and alcohol dependence, as a part of psychedelic therapy and recently in the therapy of Alzheimer’s disease.
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 |