LSD and microdosing

Studies whose primary subject is both LSD and Microdosing, with an evidence synthesis read across the most-cited and most recent of them.

State of the evidence

Synthesized October 22, 2026

Synthesized from 24 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below

Found by searching the library for LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide, lysergide, Microdosing, micro-dosing, sub-perceptual dosing, then ranked by relevance.

Controlled trials of low-dose LSD find acute, dose-day effects on mood, reward-related brain activity, and neural connectivity, but repeated dosing over weeks has not produced lasting improvements in mood or cognition in healthy adults. In a depressed population, microdosed LSD was not superior to an active placebo (caffeine) for reducing depressive symptoms, and a meta-analysis found a small decrease in cognitive control with no benefit in other domains. Uncontrolled surveys and open-label interviews report perceived benefits, but these are vulnerable to expectancy and placebo effects, and long-term safety (e.g., valvular risk) remains unstudied.

Evidence by study

Direction is which way each study's own result points, not our rating of the study. All 25 matching studies were reviewed; the 24 that directly address the question are shown here.

What the directions mean

Supports:: the study found the intervention worked, or its hypothesis held.
Opposes:: it found the opposite, no benefit or a harm.
No effect:: no significant difference either way.
Mixed:: effects in both directions within the same study.
Unclear:: the abstract does not report a direction.

Study	Design	Sample size	Direction	Finding
Might Microdosing Psychedelics Be Safe and Beneficial? An Initial Exploration. 2019	observational cohort	1000	Supports	Spaced but repeated microdoses of LSD (10 micrograms every three days) were followed by improvements in negative moods, especially depression, and increases in positive moods.
Preliminary Report on the Effects of a Low Dose of LSD on Resting-State Amygdala Functional Connectivity. 2019	RCT	20	Mixed	A single 13 μg dose of LSD altered amygdala functional connectivity with several brain regions, and changes in amygdala–middle frontal gyrus connectivity were positively correlated with positive mood, though effects on mood itself were weak and variable.
Acute Mood-Elevating Properties of Microdosed Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Volunteers: A Home-Administered Randomized Controlled Trial. 2023	RCT	80	Mixed	Microdosing LSD (10 μg every 3 days for 6 weeks) produced transient mood-elevating effects on dose days but no credible change in overall mood or cognition between baseline and 6-week assessment.
Microdosing psychedelics: Subjective benefits and challenges, substance testing behavior, and the relevance of intention 2020	cross-sectional survey	6753	Supports	Participants often reported enhanced mood, creativity, focus, and sociability, with 'None' the most common challenge, but approach-intention predicted fewer benefits and most did not test their substances.
Low doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) increase reward-related brain activity. 2023	within-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment	18	Supports	Single low doses of LSD (13 μg and 26 μg) increased reward-related event-related potential components compared to placebo, indicating enhanced hedonic, motivational, and affective processing of reward feedback.
The risk of chronic psychedelic and MDMA microdosing for valvular heart disease 2023	review		Unclear	Concludes that chronic psychedelic microdosing is a potential risk for valvular heart disease via 5-HT2B receptor activation, but no appropriately designed animal or clinical studies were found.
Greater subjective effects of a low dose of LSD in participants with depressed mood. 2024	RCT	39	Supports	A single 26 µg dose of LSD produced greater acute positive mood and stimulant-like effects and a greater decline in depression scores 48 hours later in participants with higher baseline depressive symptoms.
Microdosing Psychedelics: Current Evidence From Controlled Studies. 2024	systematic review		Mixed	Acute low doses of LSD (5-20 μg) dose-dependently altered blood pressure, sleep, neural connectivity, social cognition, mood, and pain perception with no serious adverse effects, but repeated doses did not alter mood or cognition.
An open-label pilot trial assessing tolerability and feasibility of LSD microdosing in patients with major depressive disorder (LSDDEP1). 2023	open-label pilot trial	20	Unclear	Describes a planned open-label trial assessing tolerability and feasibility of an 8-week LSD microdosing regimen (5-15 µg) in major depressive disorder; no outcome results are reported.
Set and setting in microdosing: an oft-overlooked principle. 2022	theoretical		Unclear	Argues that set and setting are crucial for determining microdosing outcomes and that their omission from clinical trials may explain contradictory findings.
Macrodosing to microdosing with psychedelics: Clinical, social, and cultural perspectives 2022	review		Unclear	Argues that microdosing is a nascent practice with potential therapeutic and enhancement benefits whose effects remain mostly unexplored in formal research.
Sociological investigations of human enhancement drugs: The case of microdosing psychedelics 2021	commentary		Unclear	Argues that microdosing psychedelics represents an emerging facet of human enhancement through drugs and maps directions for sociological study.
Inter-individual variability in neural response to low doses of LSD. 2024	RCT	53	Mixed	Repeated 15 mcg LSD doses produced stimulatory neurophysiological effects strongest in individuals with low baseline arousal and attention, and inhibitory effects strongest in high memory performers, with some effects persisting at follow-up.
Is microdosing a placebo? A rapid review of low-dose LSD and psilocybin research 2024	rapid review	19	Mixed	Concludes that it is not yet possible to determine whether microdosing is a placebo, citing small samples, few controlled studies, dose-dependent effects, and small measured expectancy effects.
230. LSD microdosing for depression: hype or hope? A randomised controlled trial in major depressive disorder 2026	RCT		Opposes	Microdosed LSD was not superior to active placebo (caffeine) for reducing depressive symptoms (MADRS fell 29.9% with LSD vs 36.4% with placebo), with moderate evidence favoring the null.
Prevalence and Reasons for Microdosing Cannabis, Psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA Among U.S. Adults 2026	cross-sectional survey	1523	Unclear	Lifetime LSD microdosing prevalence was 4.8%, and LSD was more commonly microdosed for recreational than medical purposes.
A New Use for an Old Compound: Microdosing LSD to Reduce Fibromyalgia Symptoms 2026	preclinical animal study		Supports	Repeated microdoses of LSD improved pain sensitivity, discomfort, and wellbeing measures in a mouse model of fibromyalgia in a sex- and route-dependent manner without major safety concerns.
LSD microdosing for major depressive disorder: Mood and pharmacokinetic outcomes from a Phase 2a trial 2026	clinical trial		Supports	Reports short-term improvements in mood following microdosed LSD (8 μg) in people with depression, with no tolerance or sensitisation to repeated doses.
Self-medication with psychedelics: a scoping review and narrative synthesis of review-level evidence 2026	scoping review		Supports	Reports that self-medicating individuals using psilocybin and LSD for conditions such as cluster headache describe symptom relief, with about 40% achieving full remission and 70% reporting preventive benefit.
Effects of psychedelic microdosing on cognitive functions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2026	meta-analysis	1614	Opposes	Microdosing classical psychedelics significantly decreased cognitive control with no detectable effects on other cognitive domains, and substance, dose, duration, and timing did not moderate effects.
It’s all about the relationship: The caregiver experience of supporting a person with advanced cancer going through an LSD microdosing trial 2026	theoretical		Unclear	Argues that caregivers should be included alongside patients in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials for cancer-related distress because of the bidirectional relationship in wellbeing between cancer dyads.
What is it like to microdose LSD for depression? a thematic analysis of participant interviews from an open-label trial. 2025	open-label pilot trial with qualitative interviews	17	Mixed	Participants described enhanced self-determination, connectedness, cognitive processing, and emotional wellbeing with reduced depressive symptoms, but some reported negative effects or no improvement, and the absence of a placebo control prevents attribution to LSD.
Qualitative content analysis of expectations in participants with depression about to begin LSD microdosing treatment: Identifying the need for psychedelic expectancy measures. 2025	qualitative study	23	Unclear	Participants' expectations before microdosing LSD were shaped by media and prior treatment failure, with hope acting as both a motivator and a disappointment buffer.
Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP): A randomised, double-dummy, triple-blind, active placebo-controlled, parallel groups trial of LSD microdosing in patients with major depressive disorder (LSDDEP2) 2025	statistical analysis plan		Unclear	Specifies analyses for a triple-blind, active placebo-controlled trial of LSD microdosing in major depressive disorder; no results are reported.

Points of agreement

Controlled studies consistently find acute, dose-day effects of low-dose LSD on mood, reward processing, and neural measures.
Repeated dosing over weeks has not produced lasting mood or cognitive improvements in healthy adults in controlled trials.
Participant surveys and open-label interviews consistently report perceived benefits such as improved mood, creativity, and focus.
Low doses of LSD appear relatively safe in the short term, with anxiety as a notable adverse event.

Conflicts

Uncontrolled self-report studies report benefits, while controlled trials find no lasting effects and one trial found no benefit over active placebo in depression.
Some controlled work finds acute mood and reward effects, while a meta-analysis finds a decrease in cognitive control and no benefit in other cognitive domains.
Whether microdosing effects are largely placebo remains contested, with one review calling placebo claims premature and another trial finding no benefit beyond caffeine.

Gaps

Long-term safety of chronic microdosing, including valvular heart disease risk, is unstudied in appropriately designed trials.
Most controlled studies are small and in healthy, non-clinical populations.
Optimal dose, dosing schedule, and duration are not established.
Blinding integrity and expectancy effects are difficult to control and inconsistently measured.
Set and setting are rarely reported in trials.
Clinical populations beyond depression, and non-LSD psychedelics, are understudied.

Browse these studies in the library

Common questions

What does the research agree on about LSD and microdosing?

Controlled studies consistently find acute, dose-day effects of low-dose LSD on mood, reward processing, and neural measures.
Repeated dosing over weeks has not produced lasting mood or cognitive improvements in healthy adults in controlled trials.
Participant surveys and open-label interviews consistently report perceived benefits such as improved mood, creativity, and focus.
Low doses of LSD appear relatively safe in the short term, with anxiety as a notable adverse event.

Where do studies on LSD and microdosing conflict?

Uncontrolled self-report studies report benefits, while controlled trials find no lasting effects and one trial found no benefit over active placebo in depression.
Some controlled work finds acute mood and reward effects, while a meta-analysis finds a decrease in cognitive control and no benefit in other cognitive domains.
Whether microdosing effects are largely placebo remains contested, with one review calling placebo claims premature and another trial finding no benefit beyond caffeine.

What is still unknown about LSD and microdosing?

Long-term safety of chronic microdosing, including valvular heart disease risk, is unstudied in appropriately designed trials.
Most controlled studies are small and in healthy, non-clinical populations.
Optimal dose, dosing schedule, and duration are not established.
Blinding integrity and expectancy effects are difficult to control and inconsistently measured.
Set and setting are rarely reported in trials.
Clinical populations beyond depression, and non-LSD psychedelics, are understudied.

How we analyze this

This synthesis reads the 15 most-cited and 10 most recent studies whose primary subject is LSD and microdosing, up to 25 in all. The most-cited set anchors the established evidence, and the recent set surfaces work that is too new to have gathered citations yet.

A study qualifies only when LSD and microdosing or a known alias appears in its title or keywords, so broad reviews that mention it only in passing are left out. Each study is read from its abstract, strongest evidence first, and the summary reports the direction of the results along with any conflicts and gaps.

The full method, including what a person does and does not review, is on the methods page.

Ask your own question in the Research Synthesis Tool

48 articles · 22 from the last two years · 15,008 participants across 24 studies reporting sample size

Common study designs

review 6 observational cohort 2 cross-sectional survey 3 randomized controlled trial 10 theoretical or philosophical paper 2

Research volume by year

Compare topics →

48 studies whose primary subject is LSD and microdosing since 2019

2026 is partial

Show the numbers

Studies about LSD and microdosing per year, 2019 to 2026, peaking at 15 in 2025
Year	Studies
2019	4
2020	2
2021	2
2022	3
2023	6
2024	9
2025	15
2026	7

Research

Synthesize the evidence →

230. LSD microdosing for depression: hype or hope? A randomised controlled trial in major depressive disorder

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology September 1, 2026

Abstract Background Depressive disorders affect approximately 280 million people worldwide, with many patients finding existing treatments ineffective or limited by adverse effects. Growing evidence from community microdosing reports suggests that psychedelic therapies may help alleviate depressive symptoms. Among these, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) microdosing has shown particular promise...

DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyag040.021 Full text

Prevalence and Reasons for Microdosing Cannabis, Psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA Among U.S. Adults

American Journal of Preventive Medicine May 4, 2026 Kevin H. Yang, Nora Satybaldiyeva, Wayne Kepner et al. 1 citation

IntroductionMicrodosing involves consuming low doses of psychoactive substances, typically between 1/5th and 1/20th of a recreational dose. Despite increasing public attention to cannabis and psychedelics amid evolving drug policies, epidemiologic data on microdosing remain limited.MethodsA cross-sectional, web-based survey (Characterizing the Epidemiology of Cannabidiol Use Survey) of 1,523...

DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2026.108381 Full text MDMA Medline Young adult Drug +2

A New Use for an Old Compound: Microdosing LSD to Reduce Fibromyalgia Symptoms

April 17, 2026 Sara Arciniegas Ruiz, Sari Prutchi Sagiv, Hagit Eldar-Finkelman

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and mood changes. Available treatments often provide limited relief, highlighting the need for new therapeutic approaches. Repurposing offers a faster and more cost-effective path to innovation. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), historically known for its psychedelic effects, has...

DOI: 10.14293/idr.26.001sa Full text Mood Fibromyalgia Dosing Chronic pain +4

LSD microdosing for major depressive disorder: Mood and pharmacokinetic outcomes from a Phase 2a trial

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry February 18, 2026 Dimitri Henriques Daldegan-Bueno, C Donegan, Rachael Sumner et al. 1 citation

Results suggest short-term improvements in mood following microdosed LSD in people with depression, warranting confirmation in controlled trials. It provides the pharmacokinetic parameters of 8 μg of LSD in a sample of people with depression and indicates no tolerance or sensitisation to repeated microdoses of LSD, despite incremental dose titration.

DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2026.111645 Major depressive disorder Pharmacokinetics Depression economics Depressive symptoms +6

Self-medication with psychedelics: a scoping review and narrative synthesis of review-level evidence

Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy February 4, 2026 Shreya Shiju, Rohan Tirumala, Elliot Marseille

Background: As public and scientific interest in psychedelics grows, unsupervised use for health purposes is increasing. In the U.S., past-year hallucinogen use nearly doubled from 2015 to 2023. Many individuals report self-treating physical or psychological symptoms without medical supervision using psychedelics—a practice termed self-medication. Despite this trend, review-level syntheses...

DOI: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2026.100709 Full text Psilocybin LSD Microdosing Psychedelics +2

Effects of psychedelic microdosing on cognitive functions: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2026 Netta Pinhas, Nofar Eidlman, Avigail Barnea et al. 2 citations

Microdosing - the practice of consuming extremely low doses of classical psychedelic substances that do not elicit overt psychedelic effects - has gained significant attention as a potential method for enhancing cognitive performance. However, findings from controlled studies remain mixed and inconclusive. This preregistered meta-analysis examined the cognitive effects of classical psychedelic...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106493 Full text Lysergic acid diethylamide Microdosing Psilocybin Cognitive performance +2

It’s all about the relationship: The caregiver experience of supporting a person with advanced cancer going through an LSD microdosing trial

Palliative & Supportive Care 2026 Fiona Cottam, Alesha Wells, Cerys Clayden et al.

Participation in trials investigating psychedelic-assisted MCP may offer hope for patients and their caregivers. Given the bidirectional relationship in wellbeing between cancer dyads, caregivers should be included alongside patients in such trials.

DOI: 10.1017/s1478951526101977 Full text Clinical trial Psychotherapist Terminal cancer Cancer treatment +7

What is it like to microdose LSD for depression? a thematic analysis of participant interviews from an open-label trial.

Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology December 4, 2025 Carina Joy Donegan, Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Rachael Sumner et al.

Background: Depressive disorders affect approximately 280 million globally, with many finding treatments ineffective or limited by side effects. Growing evidence suggests that psychedelic therapies may help alleviate depressive symptoms. Among these, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) microdosing shows promise for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, research on LSD microdosing in clinical...

DOI: 10.1177/20451253251396253 Full text Lysergic acid diethylamide Major depressive disorder Microdosing Qualitative research +2

Qualitative content analysis of expectations in participants with depression about to begin LSD microdosing treatment: Identifying the need for psychedelic expectancy measures.

Neuropharmacology December 1, 2025 Carina Joy Donegan, Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Tehseen Noorani et al. 4 citations

Expectations can impact antidepressant treatment and psychedelic therapy, often enhancing placebo effects and influencing outcomes. However, research in this context is lacking. Our study explored the expectations of participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) before microdosing lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in an open-label trial. Twenty-three individuals with MDD completed a...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2025.110670 Full text Depression LSD Microdosing Expectancy +4

Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP): A randomised, double-dummy, triple-blind, active placebo-controlled, parallel groups trial of LSD microdosing in patients with major depressive disorder (LSDDEP2)

Open Mind November 17, 2025 Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Alana Cavadino preprint

The analyses described in this SAP will assess the efficacy and safety of LSD (MB-22001) in comparison with active placebo (caffeine). The analysis described cover those for the primary, secondary and safety endpoints described in the Protocol.

DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/tk739

Clinical trials

Microdosing LSD in Women With Premenstrual Disorders (opens in new tab)

Not yet recruiting 150 participants Friederike Holze

All lsd and microdosing trials →