LSD against Anxiety
In the largest trial, LSD helped reduce anxiety in 65% of patients
Georgy Golovanov, Hi-tech+
The pharmaceutical company MindMed has announced the preliminary results of the second phase of clinical trials of high doses of LSD for the treatment of anxiety. Judging by the data obtained by scientists, one or two doses of this psychoactive substance can quickly and gently reduce the level of anxiety. However, more extensive research is needed to confirm these findings.
Until now, the only test of the effectiveness of LSD in the treatment of anxiety was a modest study by Swiss scientists in 2014 by the number of participants. His goal was to establish the safety and effectiveness of the use of this substance. The results were promising, and there were signs that the beneficial effects of LSD would be long-term.
The new study was conducted in The University Hospital of Basel, the press release of MindMed Collaborators Announces Positive Topline Data from Phase 2 Trial Evaluating LSD in Anxiety Disorders. The trial was randomized, with the participation of a control group, and included 46 participants. They took a dose of LSD twice (200 mcg) with a break of six weeks. 16 weeks after the second session, a decrease in anxiety on the Spielberg scale (STAI) was noted.
The data presented by MindMed indicate that 65% of patients (13 out of 20) in the LSD group demonstrated a clinically significant decrease in the number of STAI scores by more than 30%. Only 9% of participants from the placebo group (2 out of 22) showed similar results.
As for the safety of taking 200 mcg of LSD, basically only mild side effects and only one case of "acute short-term anxiety and delirium" were recorded. There were no long-term consequences.
A curious feature of these trials was also the absence of concomitant psychotherapeutic protocols that usually accompany the use of psychedelics for medical purposes. In this case, the researchers focused exclusively on the pharmacological effect of LSD.
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