GoKawiilLow-dose LSD improved attention and reaction time in women, not men, study finds
Researchers led by Iva Totomanova at Maastricht University reanalyzed data from a trial of 53 healthy adults who took 15-microgram doses of LSD or a placebo four times over two weeks. Among 48 participants, women who received LSD showed longer sustained attention and faster reaction times on cognitive tests than women given placebo, while no such effect appeared in men. The findings were presented on October 12 at the ECNP Congress in Munich.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The results add to a small but growing body of evidence, as neuroscientist Conor Murray notes, that microdosing LSD may yield measurable cognitive effects rather than just subjective mood changes. The sex-specific pattern suggests individual biological differences could shape how people respond to low doses of psychedelics, which may eventually inform how microdosing research or future treatments are designed and tested. However, as a small, preliminary reanalysis, the findings would need replication in larger, purpose-built studies before drawing firm conclusions.
- Women given 15 micrograms of LSD showed better sustained attention and faster reaction times than women given placebo.
- Men in the same study showed no measurable cognitive benefit from the same microdose.
- The findings, presented at the ECNP Congress, stem from a reanalysis of an earlier 53-person trial and need further study to confirm.
Source: nature.com — Conroy, 2026-10-19
Published there as: “Microdosing LSD shows some cognitive benefits — but only for women”
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