Rankings / Cognitive — Nootropics
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)
Cognitive · Classic psychedelic / 5-HT2A agonist
Tier C+
What this is
MindMed MM120 (standardized LSD tartrate) Ph2b showed ~48% remission in GAD at 12 weeks with single dose; Ph3 ongoing. Gasser terminal-illness anxiety work (Swiss) was pioneering. Microdose RCTs (Imperial, Hartogsohn) show no consistent cognitive or mood benefit over placebo.
Mechanism
5-HT2A agonist with partial activity at 5-HT1A, 5-HT2C, D2; extremely potent; longer duration than psilocybin (~8-12 hr); MindMed LSD (MM120) in Ph3 for GAD
Dose & route
50-200 mcg (recreational); 100-200 mcg clinical; 5-20 mcg 'microdose'
Citations
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25203749/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38037023/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8728710/
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This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.