Psilocybin microdosing does not affect emotion-related symptoms and processing: A preregistered field and lab-based study

Background: Microdoses of psychedelics (i.e. a sub-hallucinogenic dose taken every third day) can reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress according to anecdotal reports and observational studies. Research with medium to high doses of psilocybin points towards potential underlying mechanism...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford) 2022-01, Vol.36 (1), p.97-113
Main Authors: Marschall, Josephine, Fejer, George, Lempe, Pascal, Prochazkova, Luisa, Kuchar, Martin, Hajkova, Katerina, van Elk, Michiel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anxiety
Anxiety - drug therapy
Blindness
Clinical trials
Cross-Over Studies
Depression - drug therapy
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Double-Blind Method
Emotions
Emotions - drug effects
Female
Go/no-go discrimination learning
Hallucinogens - administration & dosage
Hallucinogens - pharmacology
Humans
Male
Mental depression
Middle Aged
Original Papers
Placebos
Psilocybin
Psilocybin - administration & dosage
Psilocybin - pharmacology
Psychedelic drugs
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background: Microdoses of psychedelics (i.e. a sub-hallucinogenic dose taken every third day) can reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress according to anecdotal reports and observational studies. Research with medium to high doses of psilocybin points towards potential underlying mechanisms, including the modulation of emotion and interoceptive processing. Aims: In this preregistered study, we investigated whether psilocybin microdoses alter self-reported interoceptive awareness and whether repeated microdosing over 3 weeks modulates emotion processing and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. Methods: We used a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover design. Participants completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness Questionnaire 1½ h after self-administering their second dose (or placebo), and the emotional go/no-go task and the shortened Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 1½ h after self-administering their seventh dose. Results: Our confirmatory analyses revealed that psilocybin microdosing did not affect emotion processing or symptoms of anxiety and depression compared with placebo. Our exploratory analyses revealed that psilocybin microdosing did not affect self-reported interoceptive awareness, that symptoms of depression and stress were significantly reduced in the first block compared with baseline, that participants broke blind in the second block and that there was no effect of expectations. Further research in a substance-naïve population with clinical range anxiety and depressive symptoms is needed to substantiate the potential beneficial effects of microdosing.
ISSN:0269-8811
1461-7285
DOI:10.1177/02698811211050556