AbstractThis perspective on Jubert et al. (beginning on page [1015] in this issue of the journal) discusses the use of microdosing with environmental carcinogens to accelerate the evaluation and optimization of chemopreventive interventions. The need for chemoprevention of environmental carcinogenesis is considered, as are the structure of microdosing, or phase 0, trials, technologies required...
This paper presents a critical re-examination of the conclusions drawn from Szigeti et al.'s (2021) “Self-blinding Citizen Science to Explore Psychedelic Microdosing”. The current article’s approach was to a) examine the utility of the guess and expectation variables from the original research, b) explore if drug intensity plays a role in the outcomes, and c) test for within-person variability...
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...
Rodent studies have shown that psychedelic drugs can enhance fear extinction. However, investigations to date have relied on normative aversive conditioning procedures, which limit their relevance to trauma-related memories, as these tend to be overgeneralized and resistant to extinction. Fear extinction depends on activity and plasticity within the infralimbic (IL) region of the medial...
The growing percentage of people suffering from drug-resistant depression increases interest in alternative therapies, particularly the usage of psychedelics such as psilocybin. The main source of psilocybin is the Psilocybe cubensis species. Due to the potential therapeutic benefits of psilocybin and the legal restrictions on its possession and use in the form of fungal fruiting bodies, this...
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...
CureusJuly 1, 2025Akshita Suleria, Sakshi Verma, Khanij Arya et al.
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is an ergot-derived psychedelic agent that produces perceptual and psychic effects of heightened sensations by acting on the dopaminergic, adrenergic, and serotonergic pathways in the brain and periphery, with 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A) as the primary target molecule. Its action on these receptors in the central nervous system is comparatively well studied...
The purpose of this narrative review is to examine the hypothesis that two neuropeptides, vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) and their receptors have central roles in the behavioral and physiological consequences of psychedelic interventions. Transient consequences of psychedelics can include anxiety and in some cases sickness responses such as nausea and vomiting, which may involve VP and...
Do-it-yourself (DIY) brain hacking has evolved from fringe experimentation to a cultural and clinical phenomenon reshaping how individuals interact with their brains. From early self-directed use of racetam nootropics, at-home transcranial direct current stimulation, and meditation apps, to the normalization of microdosing psychedelics, this movement reflects a broader shift toward brain...
Microdosing is the practice of taking psychedelic drugs at doses that produce no or minimal perceptible subjective or behavioural effects. This study investigated the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of microdosed lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). This was a Phase 1 double-blind placebo-controlled parallel-groups trial with 80 healthy male volunteers (four withdrawals due to anxiety)....