Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31303095›Full record

ReviewJournal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)2019

Microdosing psychedelics: More questions than answers? An overview and suggestions for future research.

Kim Pc Kuypers, Livia Ng, David Erritzoe, Gitte M Knudsen, Charles D Nichols, David E Nichols, Luca Pani, Anaïs Soula, David Nutt

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 81 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
81citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

81 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  7. Neural complexity is increased after low doses of LSD, but not moderate to high doses of oral THC or methamphetamine.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2024
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  12. Acute dose-dependent effects of lysergic acid diethylamide in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2021
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21 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Kim Pc KuypersDepartment of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-7634-3809
Livia NgDepartment of Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
David ErritzoeDepartment of Psychology, Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Gitte M KnudsenNeurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Charles D NicholsDepartment of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.
David E NicholsPurdue University College of Pharmacy, West Lafayette, LA, USA.
Luca PaniDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Psychiatry University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
Anaïs SoulaCOMPASS Pathways, London, UK.
David NuttNeuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn 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.

aimThis 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.

conclusionIt 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.

Indexed as

AnimalsAttentionHallucinogensHumansMemoryPsilocybinHallucinogensPsilocybinmicrodosingPsychedelicspsychoactive substances

Identifiers

PMID31303095
PMCPMC6732823

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.