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Psychedelic microdosing involves consuming sub-threshold doses (microdoses) of serotonergic psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin to potentially enhance creativity, energy, emotional balance, problem-solving abilities, and to address anxiety, depression,[1] and addiction.[2][3] This practice has gained popularity in the 21st century.[4][5] A June 2024 report by the RAND Corporation suggests that among adults in the United States reporting the use of psilocybin in the past year, nearly half reported microdosing the last time they used it.[6]
Techniques
LSD and psilocybin are the most commonly used substances for microdosing, with volumetric liquid dosing often employed for precise LSD measurement.[7][8] A microdose is usually 1/20 to 1/10 of an active dose of a psychedelic drug.[7][9]
Prevalence and demographics
Gender and education significantly influence microdosing prevalence. An online survey revealed that 13% of 2,437 respondents had practiced microdosing, with current microdosers at 4%.[10] Microdosers typically have lower incomes and education levels, with no specific employment type associated.[10]
A separate survey of Reddit users found no significant difference in age, sexual orientation, social class, or education level between microdosers and non-microdosers. However, microdosers were more likely to be male, less religious, and reported a lower incidence of anxiety or substance use disorders. They commonly used LSD or psilocybin on a one-day-on, two-days-off schedule.[11]
Therapeutic Applications
Research͏͏ has͏͏ explored͏͏ the͏͏ potential͏͏ of͏͏ microdosing͏͏ psychedelics͏͏ in͏͏ treating͏͏ psychiatric͏͏ conditions͏͏ like͏͏ ADHD.͏͏ A͏͏ naturalistic͏͏ study͏͏ conducted͏͏ over͏͏ a͏͏ four-week͏͏ period͏͏ demonstrated͏͏ that͏͏ individuals͏͏ with͏͏ ADHD͏͏ reported͏͏ a͏͏ reduction͏͏ in͏͏ symptoms͏͏ like͏͏ increased͏͏ trait͏͏ mindfulness͏͏ and͏͏ decreased͏͏ neuroticism͏͏ post-microdosing.͏͏ These͏͏ findings͏͏ suggest͏͏ that͏͏ microdosing͏͏ could͏͏ be͏͏ an͏͏ alternative͏͏ or͏͏ supplementary͏͏ approach͏͏ to͏͏ traditional͏͏ ADHD͏͏ treatments,͏͏ though͏͏ further͏͏ clinical͏͏ validation͏͏ is͏͏ required͏͏ to͏͏ confirm͏͏ its͏͏ safety͏͏ and͏͏ efficacy.[12]
Microdosing͏͏ psychedelics͏͏ is͏͏ also͏͏ being͏͏ investigated͏͏ as͏͏ a͏͏ potential͏͏ therapeutic͏͏ tool͏͏ for͏͏ neurodegenerative͏͏ disorders͏͏ like͏͏ Alzheimer's͏͏ disease.͏͏ Research͏͏ suggests͏͏ that͏͏ psychedelics͏͏ may͏͏ help͏͏ "reopen"͏͏ critical͏͏ periods͏͏ of͏͏ heightened͏͏ neuroplasticity,͏͏ which͏͏ can͏͏ enable͏͏ the͏͏ formation͏͏ of͏͏ new͏͏ neural͏͏ pathways͏͏ as͏͏ well͏͏ as͏͏ improve͏͏ cognitive͏͏ flexibility.͏͏ Such͏͏ effects͏͏ can͏͏ provide͏͏ an͏͏ innovative͏͏ approach͏͏ to͏͏ mitigating͏͏ cognitive͏͏ decline͏͏ and͏͏ mood͏͏ disturbances͏͏ associated͏͏ with͏͏ dementia.[13]
Cognitive Benefits and Mechanisms
Microdoses͏͏ of͏͏ LSD͏͏ were͏͏ found͏͏ to͏͏ modulate͏͏ specific͏͏ neural͏͏ circuits͏͏ within͏͏ the͏͏ visual͏͏ cortex.͏͏ The͏͏ effects͏͏ included͏͏ increased͏͏ excitatory͏͏ and͏͏ inhibitory͏͏ input͏͏ balance,͏͏ which͏͏ could͏͏ explain͏͏ the͏͏ enhanced͏͏ cognitive͏͏ functions͏͏ experienced͏͏ by͏͏ users.͏͏ These͏͏ findings͏͏ suggest͏͏ that͏͏ even͏͏ sub-perceptual͏͏ dosages͏͏ of͏͏ psychedelics͏͏ can͏͏ significantly͏͏ impact͏͏ brain͏͏ function͏͏ without͏͏ inducing͏͏ hallucinogenic͏͏ symptoms.[14]
See also
References
- ^ MindBio Therapeutics (2024-08-19). "MindBio Announces Sustained Antidepressant Response 3-Months Post Treatment in Microdosing Depression Clinical Trials". Accesswire.
- ^ Fadiman J (January 2016). "Microdose research: without approvals, control groups, double blinds, staff or funding". Psychedelic Press. XV.
- ^ Brodwin E (30 January 2017). "The truth about 'microdosing,' which involves taking tiny amounts of psychedelics like LSD". Business Insider. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
- ^ Dahl H (7 July 2015). "A Brief History of LSD in the Twenty-First Century". Psychedelic Press UK. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
- ^ Ellwood B (2020-10-28). "International study finds 79% of individuals who microdose with psychedelics report improvements in their mental health". PsyPost. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
- ^ Kilmer B, Priest M, Ramchand R, Rogers RC, Senator B, Palmer K (2024-06-27). Considering Alternatives to Psychedelic Drug Prohibition (Report). RAND Corporation.
- ^ a b c Polito V, Stevenson RJ (2019-02-06). "A systematic study of microdosing psychedelics". PLOS ONE. 14 (2): e0211023. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1411023P. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0211023. PMC 6364961. PMID 30726251.
- ^ Preller KH (November 2019). "The Effects of Low Doses of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Humans: Demystifying the Microdosing of Psychedelics". Biological Psychiatry. 86 (10): 736–737. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.08.021. PMID 31648681. S2CID 204800273.
- ^ Kuypers KP (2020-01-01). "The therapeutic potential of microdosing psychedelics in depression". Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology. 10: 1–2. doi:10.1177/2045125320950567. PMC 7457631. PMID 32922736.
- ^ a b Cameron LP, Nazarian A, Olson DE (January 2020). "Psychedelic Microdosing: Prevalence and Subjective Effects". Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 52 (2): 113–122. doi:10.1080/02791072.2020.1718250. PMC 7282936. PMID 31973684.
- ^ Rosenbaum D, Weissman C, Anderson T, Petranker R, Dinh-Williams LA, Hui K, Hapke E (June 2020). "Microdosing psychedelics: Demographics, practices, and psychiatric comorbidities". Journal of Psychopharmacology. 34 (6): 612–622. doi:10.1177/0269881120908004. PMID 32108529. S2CID 211556532.
- ^ K.͏͏ P.͏͏ Kuypers,͏͏ "Microdosing͏͏ psychedelics͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ treatment͏͏ of͏͏ ADHD͏͏ and͏͏ comorbid͏͏ disorders,"͏͏ European͏͏ Psychiatry,͏͏ doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.44
- ^ Lin͏͏ et͏͏ al.,͏͏ "A͏͏ perspective͏͏ on͏͏ Alzheimer’s͏͏ disease:͏͏ exploring͏͏ the͏͏ potential͏͏ of͏͏ terminal/paradoxical͏͏ lucidity͏͏ and͏͏ psychedelics,"͏͏ Molecular͏͏ Neurodegeneration,͏͏ doi.org/10.1186/s13024-024-00761-5.
- ^ Murphy͏͏ et͏͏ al.,͏͏ "Modulation͏͏ of͏͏ long-term͏͏ potentiation͏͏ following͏͏ microdoses͏͏ of͏͏ LSD͏͏ captured͏͏ by͏͏ thalamo-cortical͏͏ modeling͏͏ in͏͏ a͏͏ randomized,͏͏ controlled͏͏ trial,"͏͏ BMC͏͏ Neuroscience,͏͏ 2024 doi.org/10.1186/s13024-024-00761-5
