bioRxiv
May 29, 2026
Aurora Savino, Carla Liaci, Ilaria Bertani et al.
preprint
Summary Psychedelic compounds such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) are increasingly studied for their neuroplastic effects and potential relevance to brain aging and neurodegeneration. However, the molecular mechanisms linking psychedelic-induced plasticity to age-associated cognitive decline remain unclear. Brain aging and dementia are characterized by coordinated transcriptional programs...
Brain Stimulation
May 21, 2026
Lucas Dwiel, Mackenzi L. Prina, Elise Bragg et al.
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 specific...
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
May 11, 2026
Jared Plotkin, Elaine Zhu, Mélanie Druart et al.
preprint
Psychedelics produce long-lasting effects, but their circuit mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that, in rats, a single dose of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) persistently reduces pain affect. This effect is recapitulated by local administration in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), but not primary somatosensory cortex. Neuropixels recordings reveal that LSD suppresses stimulus-evoked...
Cell Reports Medicine
May 7, 2026
Mihai Avram, Aurore Menegaux, Felix Müller et al.
1 citation
The clinical trial NCT03866252 investigates the antidepressant effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in 61 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) randomized to low-dose LSD (LD-LSD; 2 × 25 μg) or moderate-to-high-dose LSD (HD-LSD; 100 μg followed by 200 μg) 4 weeks apart. Although the trial reports positive clinical outcomes, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we test...
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...
Sleep
May 1, 2026
Denise C. Vidot, Bria-Necole Diggs, Amrit Baral et al.
Abstract Introduction Psychedelic use and interest in its therapeutic potential are rapidly increasing; yet its relationship with insomnia remains poorly understood. This study aims to estimate differences in insomnia severity by type of psychedelic consumed among a cohort of 18-to-35-year olds. Methods Data are from the Herbal Heart Study - Sleep Ancillary (N=100) cannabis consumers....
Repository for Publications and Research Data
April 30, 2026
Kurt Stocker, Matthias Hartmann, Frederick S. Barrett et al.
Objectives: For English, the validated part of Psychedelic Experience Scale (PES48) is a four-factor structure called the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30). The other validated part of the PES48 consists of four more factors: two more mystical factors (paradoxicality and connectedness, which together with the MEQ30 form the MEQ40), and two more non-mystical factors (visual experience...
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...
L'Encephale
April 9, 2026
Amel Bouloufa, Sarah Delcourte, Thomas Delannay et al.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) represents a colossal worldwide burden of health, affecting more than 350 million individuals. While traditional antidepressants with mechanisms of action at the serotonin, dopamine, or norepinephrine pathways are routinely prescribed, approximately one-third of patients fail to achieve adequate remission and develop treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This...
Journal of Australian studies
April 3, 2026
A. Watts, E. Clark, Jennifer Munday
ABSTRACT Between 1967 and 1975, psychiatrist Dr Howard Whitaker directed a program for the legal use of LSD and psilocybin in Victoria, Australia. His controversial practices were marred by misconduct, unscientific methods and evidence of malpractice. This study explores Whitaker’s LSD-assisted therapy in the 1970s through interviews with former staff of Mayday Hills Psychiatric Hospital in...