Display options
Cite
Szigeti B, Kartner L, Blemings A, et al. Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing. Elife. 2021;10doi: 10.7554/eLife.62878.
Szigeti, B., Kartner, L., Blemings, A., Rosas, F., Feilding, A., Nutt, D. J., Carhart-Harris, R. L., & Erritzoe, D. (2021). Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing. eLife, 10. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.62878
Szigeti, Balázs, et al. "Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing." eLife vol. 10 (2021). doi: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.62878
Szigeti B, Kartner L, Blemings A, Rosas F, Feilding A, Nutt DJ, Carhart-Harris RL, Erritzoe D. Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing. Elife. 2021 Mar 02;10. doi: 10.7554/eLife.62878. PMID: 33648632; PMCID: PMC7925122.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Elife. 2021 Mar 02;10. doi: 10.7554/eLife.62878.

Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing.

eLife

Balázs Szigeti, Laura Kartner, Allan Blemings, Fernando Rosas, Amanda Feilding, David J Nutt, Robin L Carhart-Harris, David Erritzoe

Affiliations

  1. Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
  2. Data Science Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
  3. Center for Complexity Science, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
  4. Beckley Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom.
  5. Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.

PMID: 33648632 PMCID: PMC7925122 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.62878

Abstract

Microdosing is the practice of regularly using low doses of psychedelic drugs. Anecdotal reports suggest that microdosing enhances well-being and cognition; however, such accounts are potentially biased by the placebo effect. This study used a 'self-blinding' citizen science initiative, where participants were given online instructions on how to incorporate placebo control into their microdosing routine without clinical supervision. The study was completed by 191 participants, making it the largest placebo-controlled trial on psychedelics to-date. All psychological outcomes improved significantly from baseline to after the 4 weeks long dose period for the microdose group; however, the placebo group also improved and no significant between-groups differences were observed. Acute (emotional state, drug intensity, mood, energy, and creativity) and post-acute (anxiety) scales showed small, but significant microdose vs. placebo differences; however, these results can be explained by participants breaking blind. The findings suggest that anecdotal benefits of microdosing can be explained by the placebo effect.

© 2021, Szigeti et al.

Keywords: citizen science; expectations; human; medicine; microdosing; neuroscience; placebo; psychedelics; self-blinding

Conflict of interest statement

BS, LK, AB, FR, AF, DN, RC, DE No competing interests declared

References

  1. Front Pharmacol. 2018 Jan 17;8:974 - PubMed
  2. Neuron. 2012 Dec 20;76(6):1225-37 - PubMed
  3. Psychiatry Res. 1986 Sep;19(1):75-86 - PubMed
  4. J Pers Assess. 1985 Feb;49(1):71-5 - PubMed
  5. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2001;10 Suppl 1:I19-25 - PubMed
  6. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2020 Dec;41:81-91 - PubMed
  7. Psychol Med. 2008 Jan;38(1):101-11 - PubMed
  8. Front Psychiatry. 2019 Jun 13;10:407 - PubMed
  9. J Psychopharmacol. 2019 Sep;33(9):1039-1057 - PubMed
  10. J Psychopharmacol. 2016 Dec;30(12):1165-1180 - PubMed
  11. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2007 Nov 27;5:63 - PubMed
  12. Biol Psychiatry. 2019 Nov 15;86(10):792-800 - PubMed
  13. Psychother Psychosom. 2013;82(3):152-60 - PubMed
  14. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2020 Apr;5(4):461-467 - PubMed
  15. J Psychopharmacol. 2016 Dec;30(12):1268-1278 - PubMed
  16. Cell. 2020 Apr 2;181(1):24-28 - PubMed
  17. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2011 Dec;218(4):649-65 - PubMed
  18. Biol Psychiatry. 2003 Sep 1;54(5):573-83 - PubMed
  19. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988 Jun;54(6):1063-70 - PubMed
  20. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2015 Feb;232(4):785-94 - PubMed
  21. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1995 Oct;69(4):719-27 - PubMed
  22. Pain. 2017 Jun;158(6):1014-1020 - PubMed
  23. Pharmacol Rev. 2019 Jul;71(3):316-344 - PubMed
  24. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2019 Feb;236(2):731-740 - PubMed
  25. J Pers. 1992 Jun;60(2):175-215 - PubMed
  26. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2000 Jun;31(2):73-86 - PubMed
  27. J Clin Psychiatry. 2011 Dec;72(12):1669-76 - PubMed
  28. PLoS One. 2019 Feb 6;14(2):e0211023 - PubMed
  29. J Psychopharmacol. 2018 Jul;32(7):725-731 - PubMed
  30. J Affect Disord. 2010 May;122(3):213-7 - PubMed
  31. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2019 Apr;236(4):1159-1170 - PubMed
  32. Front Psychiatry. 2018 Sep 07;9:424 - PubMed
  33. Front Pharmacol. 2018 Nov 02;9:897 - PubMed
  34. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2018 Dec;235(12):3401-3413 - PubMed
  35. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017 Oct;42(11):2105-2113 - PubMed
  36. Trends Ecol Evol. 2009 Sep;24(9):467-71 - PubMed
  37. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2020 Mar;237(3):841-853 - PubMed

Publication Types