TY - JOUR

T1 - Microdosing psychedelics

T2 - More questions than answers? An overview and suggestions for future research

AU - Kuypers, Kim P.C.

AU - Ng, Livia

AU - Erritzoe, David

AU - Knudsen, Gitte M.

AU - Nichols, Charles D.

AU - Nichols, David E.

AU - Pani, Luca

AU - Soula, Anaïs

AU - Nutt, David

PY - 2019/9

Y1 - 2019/9

N2 - Background: In the past few years, the issue of ‘microdosing’ psychedelics has been openly discussed in the public arena where claims have been made about their positive effect on mood state and cognitive processes such as concentration. However, there are very few scientific studies that have specifically addressed this issue, and there is no agreed scientific consensus on what microdosing is. Aim: This critique paper is designed to address questions that need to be answered by future scientific studies and to offer guidelines for these studies. Approach: Owing to its proximity for a possible approval in clinical use and short-lasting pharmacokinetics, our focus is predominantly on psilocybin. Psilocybin is allegedly, next to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), one of the two most frequently used psychedelics to microdose. Where relevant and available, data for other psychedelic drugs are also mentioned. Conclusion: It is concluded that while most anecdotal reports focus on the positive experiences with microdosing, future research should also focus on potential risks of (multiple) administrations of a psychedelic in low doses. To that end, (pre)clinical studies including biological (e.g. heart rate, receptor turnover and occupancy) as well as cognitive (e.g. memory, attention) parameters have to be conducted and will shed light on the potential negative consequences microdosing could have.

AB - Background: In the past few years, the issue of ‘microdosing’ psychedelics has been openly discussed in the public arena where claims have been made about their positive effect on mood state and cognitive processes such as concentration. However, there are very few scientific studies that have specifically addressed this issue, and there is no agreed scientific consensus on what microdosing is. Aim: This critique paper is designed to address questions that need to be answered by future scientific studies and to offer guidelines for these studies. Approach: Owing to its proximity for a possible approval in clinical use and short-lasting pharmacokinetics, our focus is predominantly on psilocybin. Psilocybin is allegedly, next to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), one of the two most frequently used psychedelics to microdose. Where relevant and available, data for other psychedelic drugs are also mentioned. Conclusion: It is concluded that while most anecdotal reports focus on the positive experiences with microdosing, future research should also focus on potential risks of (multiple) administrations of a psychedelic in low doses. To that end, (pre)clinical studies including biological (e.g. heart rate, receptor turnover and occupancy) as well as cognitive (e.g. memory, attention) parameters have to be conducted and will shed light on the potential negative consequences microdosing could have.

KW - microdosing

KW - Psychedelics

KW - psychoactive substances

U2 - 10.1177/0269881119857204

DO - 10.1177/0269881119857204

M3 - Comment/debate

C2 - 31303095

AN - SCOPUS:85069471224

VL - 33

SP - 1039

EP - 1057

JO - Journal of Psychopharmacology

JF - Journal of Psychopharmacology

SN - 0269-8811

IS - 9

ER -