Yanakieva, S.; Polychroni, N.; Family, N.; Williams, L. T. J.; Luke, D. P. and Terhune, Devin Blair. 2019. The effects of microdose LSD on time perception: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Psychopharmacology, 236(4), pp. 1159-1170. ISSN 0033-3158 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

Rationale
Previous research demonstrating that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) produces alterations in time perception has implications for its impact on conscious states and a range of psychological functions that necessitate precise interval timing. However, interpretation of this research is hindered by methodological limitations and an inability to dissociate direct neurochemical effects on interval timing from indirect effects attributable to altered states of consciousness.

Methods
We conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study contrasting oral administration of placebo with three microdoses of LSD (5, 10, and 20 μg) in older adults. Subjective drug effects were regularly recorded and interval timing was assessed using a temporal reproduction task spanning subsecond and suprasecond intervals.

Results
LSD conditions were not associated with any robust changes in self-report indices of perception, mentation, or concentration. LSD reliably produced over-reproduction of temporal intervals of 2000 ms and longer with these effects most pronounced in the 10 μg dose condition. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that LSD-mediated over-reproduction was independent of marginal differences in self-reported drug effects across conditions.

Conclusions
These results suggest that microdose LSD produces temporal dilation of suprasecond intervals in the absence of subjective alterations of consciousness.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-018-5119-x
Additional Information:	The clinical trial was funded by Eleusis Benefit Corporation (USA). This work was supported in part by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Intra-European Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme to DBT.
Keywords:	Interval timing, LSD, Microdosing, Older adults, Striatum
Departments, Centres and Research Units:	Psychology Psychology > Timing, Awareness, and Suggestion Lab
Dates:	Date Event 9 November 2018 Accepted 26 November 2018 Published Online April 2019 Published
Item ID:	25037
Date Deposited:	28 Nov 2018 09:13
Last Modified:	12 Mar 2021 17:44
Peer Reviewed:	Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.
URI:	https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/25037

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