Skip to content

LSD research published in 2025

118 studies whose primary subject is LSD were published in 2025, up from 91 in 2024. Newest first. Back to the LSD overview

Studies

Past-Year Lysergic Acid Diethylamide Use in United States Sexual Minorities from 2015 to 2019

Psychedelic Medicine December 30, 2025 Brian S. Barnett, Akhil Anand, Tatiana Falcone et al.

Objective: This study aimed to characterize changes in estimated past-year lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) use among sexual minorities in the United States using nationally representative data and to compare correlates of LSD use between lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals (LGB) and heterosexual individuals. Method: Using National Survey on Drug Use and Health data on adults from 2015 to...

DOI: 10.1177/28314425251410086 (opens in new tab) Lysergic acid diethylamide Sexual minority Sexual orientation Heterosexuality +9

Adverse events associated with classic psychedelics and MDMA: a real-world population-based study using the WHO pharmacovigilance database (VigiBase)

Psychiatry Research December 29, 2025 Omer A. Syed, Sean M. Nestor, Muhammad Ishrat Husain et al. 1 citation

Psychedelic use has greatly increased within clinical and recreational settings over recent years. While demonstrating a favorable safety profile within certain clinical populations, little empirical research has explored safety of psychedelic use within real-world samples. Using the World Health Organization (WHO) VigiBase, a comprehensive global pharmacovigilance database with voluntary...

The 3D-ASCr scale: A revalidation of the core dimensions of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale 5D(11)-ASC for psychedelic research.

Journal of Psychopharmacology December 26, 2025 Kurt Stocker, Matthias Hartmann, Yasmin Schmid et al. 5 citations

The Altered States of Consciousness Scale (3/5D-ASC or 11-ASC) is widely used to assess non-ordinary states of consciousness, particularly for psychedelic research. However, its original dimensional model (3D-ASC within 5D-ASC) and later 11-subscale structure (11-ASC) have a hierarchically incompatible higher/lower-order structure. Although the 11-ASC offers superior model fit, the 3D-ASC...

Assessing The Readiness of Psychiatrists in Louisiana to Incorporate Psilocybin into Clinical Practice—Lessons Learned from a State Underrepresented in Clinical Psychedelic Research

Psychedelic Medicine December 19, 2025 Amanda Husein, Madalynn Traylor, M. Frances Vest et al.

Background: Psilocybin has been granted breakthrough therapy status in the United States, speeding its advancement from research to clinical care. Due to the controversial nature of psilocybin, psychiatrists may not be fully prepared to incorporate it into clinical practice. The current study aimed to evaluate the opinions toward psilocybin among practicing psychiatrists in Louisiana. Louisiana...

Lysergic acid diethylamide pretreatment prolongs brain-stimulation induced neural activity changes

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) December 19, 2025 Lucas Dwiel, Mackenzi L. Prina, Elise Bragg et al. preprint

Abstract A leading theory for how psychedelics are able to produce robust clinical improvement and preclinical behavioral changes is that psychedelics act through neuroplastic mechanisms to induce lasting structural and functional alterations in neural circuits. However, psychedelics produce these effects across wide swaths of the brain. Based on our prior work, we hypothesized that engaging a...

Psychedelics as Novel Therapeutics for Chronic Pain in Veterinary Medicine: A Hypothesis-Driven Protocol Using Low-Dose 1-Cyclopropionyl-D-lysergic Acid Diethylamide (1cp-LSD) in Canine Osteoarthritis.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI December 19, 2025 Elisa Hernández-Álvarez, Andrea Acosta-Dacal, Octavio P Luzardo et al. 1 citation

Low-dose psychedelics have shown potential in modulating chronic pain in humans, yet their application in veterinary medicine remains unexplored. This study protocol proposes to investigate the therapeutic potential of low-dose oral administration of 1-cyclopropionyl-D-lysergic acid diethylamide (1cp-LSD), a legal LSD analogue in certain countries, for the management of chronic pain in...

DOI: 10.3390/ani16010003 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) 1cp-LSD Analgesic Caregiver expectations Chronic pain +4

Effects of LSD and Psilocybin on Heart Rate in Patients Receiving Psychedelic Treatment for Depressive and Anxiety Disorders: A Retrospective Observational Study

Psychology International December 19, 2025 Morgan C H Cheng, Tatiana Aboulafia Brakha, Albert Buchard et al.

Classic psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin induce mild cardiovascular activation in addition to their psychological effects. While these effects are well described in healthy adults, little is known about their dynamics in clinical populations undergoing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. This retrospective, observational, single-center study analyzed...

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (Pat): A New Frontier in Mental Health Treatment

˜The œjournal of desk research review and analysis. December 16, 2025 M. H. M. Wickramasekara, G. D. M. C. Gonapaladeniya

Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has emerged as a promising and innovative approach to treating a range of mental health disorders, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorders. Once sidelined due to regulatory bans and social stigma, psychedelics such as psilocybin, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and...

Psychedelic experiences elicited by serotonergic psychedelics: Molecular mechanisms and functional connectivity changes in the brain

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews December 16, 2025 Rivka Vollebregt, A. J. Storm, Paul J. Lucassen et al. 3 citations

Classical psychedelics, like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and psilocybin, can alter perception, emotion, and cognition, and have shown promise as 're-purposed' treatments for some psychiatric disorders. Recent trials have, e.g., demonstrated rapid and sustained symptom relief in treatment-resistant depression. While promising as a treatment, the...

Lysergic acid diethylamide-derived excitatory/inhibitory ratio change enhances global synchrony in functional brain dynamics

PLoS Computational Biology December 15, 2025 Lingyu Zhang, Weiyang Shi, Ziyang Zhao et al.

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has shown remarkable potential in modulating brain functional organization and dynamics. However, the exact mechanisms underlying its effects remain unclear. In this study, we employed a data-driven approach to analyze recurrent functional connectivity patterns in resting-state fMRI data and developed a parameterized feedback inhibition model to characterize...

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013822 (opens in new tab) Neurochemical Cognition Neurophysiology Mechanism biology +8

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...

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...

Single dose of LSD formulation improves anxiety in Phase 2b trial

The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update November 28, 2025

Treatment with a single dose of a pharmaceutical formulation of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) resulted in a dose‐dependent reduction in anxiety in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a Phase 2b study has found. The two highest of four tested dose strengths of the MM120 formulation demonstrated significant improvement relative to placebo.

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.

Qualitative insights into psilocybin and LSD experiences: Enhanced connection and emotion processing reported by Spanish-speaking survey respondents

Psychedelics November 15, 2025 Meghan DellaCrosse, Shoval Gilead, Rafael Lancelotta et al.

Serotonergic psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD have shown potential therapeutic benefits for mental health conditions, including depression, PTSD, and addiction. However, research remains limited due to regulatory barriers and a lack of diversity in study populations. Spanish-speaking individuals, despite their significant global and U.S. presence, are underrepresented in psychedelic...

DOI: 10.1016/j.psyche.2025.100004 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Generalizability theory Thematic analysis Mental health +11

Participant Experiences of Microdosed Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in a 6-Week Randomised Controlled Trial

Journal of Humanistic Psychology November 10, 2025 Robin J Murphy, Mia Wardlaw, Thomas A. Smith et al.

Microdosing psychedelics is an increasingly popular phenomenon where small amounts of psychedelic drugs are taken regularly. Qualitative data have been published regarding the experiences of microdosers, but never in the context of a randomised controlled trial. Semi-structured video interviews with 40 healthy males were conducted following a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 10 µg of...

The Relationship Between Psychedelic Use and Alcohol Use Disorder in a Nationally Representative Sample.

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs November 9, 2025 James M Zech, Jérémie Richard, Grant Jones

Psychedelic-assisted interventions are emerging as potential treatments for substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). While recent randomized controlled trials suggest efficacy for certain psychedelics and related compounds in treating AUD, the impact of naturalistic psychedelic use on problematic alcohol consumption remains underexplored. This study examines associations...

LSD microdosing in major depressive disorder: results from an open-label trial

Neuropharmacology November 5, 2025 Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, C Donegan, Rachael Sumner et al. 4 citations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects approximately 5 % of the global population. Classic psychedelics have shown promise in treating various mental health disorders. This study evaluated the feasibility and tolerability of an 8-week regimen of microdosed lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) as a treatment for major depressive disorder in an open-label phase 2A trial (LSDDEP1). Nineteen...

Simple Analogs of the LSD D-Ring: A Consideration of Structure-Activity Relationships and Their Potential as Therapeutics.

ACS Chemical Neuroscience November 5, 2025 Steven A. Barker 1 citation

Psychedelic drugs have begun to show therapeutic promise. However, there is a growing research effort focused on creating nonhallucinogenic analogs of these substances. The goal is to develop new treatments for an expanding list of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, while eliminating the complications and costs of treatment engendered by the subjective psychedelic experience....

Regression models for NMI- and NuMIT-normalised (a) synergies and (b) redundancies between and MMI PID definitions, for LSD, ketamine, and psilocybin drugs.

OPAL (Open@LaTrobe) (La Trobe University) November 5, 2025 Alberto Liardi (22305679), Fernando E. Rosas (9595503), Robin L. Carhart-Harris (5923571) et al.

Δ indicates the differences between drug and placebo in PID atoms obtained with either PID (MMI or CCS).

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013629.g005 (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Pid controller Control theory sociology Artificial intelligence +2