LSD microdosing increases brain activity in areas affected by depression
/A lot has been written about the potential of using psychedelics to treat depression
Since a Sandoz Laboratories researcher accidentally discovered the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in 1943, scientists have sought to harness what appears to be the enormous promise of psychedelic drugs.
The problem is no one has figured out precisely how LSD and other psychedelics work.
It’s a question that scientists have wrestled with for years. Back in 1980, one researcher said, “It does not seem to be an exaggeration to say that psychedelics, used responsibly and with proper caution, would be for psychiatry what the microscope is for biology and medicine or the telescope is for astronomy. These tools make it possible to study important processes that under normal circumstances are not available for direct observation.”
Some progress may be under way.
A new study shows that a single, low dose of LSD increases reward-related brain activity. The study, published in the journal “Neuropsychopharmacology” and reported on in online outlet PsyPost, finds that the psychedelic drug changes neuropsychological processes that are often blunted in patients who suffer from depression.
While the researchers did not find evidence that low doses of LSD can result in improvements to mood or cognition, the results of their investigation were interesting.
“One surprising finding was that the effects of the drug were not simply, or linearly, related to dose of the drug,” lead researcher Harriet de Wit, a professor at the University of Chicago and director of its Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory told PsyPost. “Some of the effects were greater at the lower dose. This suggests that the pharmacology of the drug is somewhat complex, and we cannot assume that higher doses will produce similar, but greater, effects.”
The search for answers is far from over, but one thing is clear: Psychedelics still offer promise to people who suffer from chronic depression.
That is a significant population. Research has found that depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders among the elderly population and a major risk factor for disability and mortality. Plus, it is often undiagnosed.
We hope further research sheds light on the mechanism of action of psychedelic drugs. Anything that can reliably lift the veil of depression from people of any age will help to improve quality of life and make a longer life worth living.