Psychopathology and Psychophysiology of Minimal LSD-25 Dosage

After 14 years of research, the full range of human responses to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) remains incompletely described. Most attention has focused on dramatic schizophrenic-like symptoms produced by doses of 40μg to 100μg. The threshold for activity is generally accepted as 20μg, but the effects of smaller doses are uncertain due to perfunctory administration. A controversy exists over whether LSD symptoms mimic schizophrenia or represent a toxic organic psychosis. This preliminary note reports that understanding the complete dosage-response relationship could help resolve this debate, though early stages of toxic psychosis have rarely been described in psychopathological terms, while a firmer basis exists for comparison with schizophrenic processes.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Despite 14 years of investigation, as intensive as accorded any biologically active chemical, a gap remains in the systematic description of human response to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25). The dramatic schizophrenic-like symptoms after doses of 40μg to 100μg have drawn the main interest. The threshold for activity is placed at 20μg by general consensus, while perfunctory administration of smaller doses has left their effect uncertain. Accompanying those pharmacologic demonstrations has been the controversy whether LSD symptoms simulate the psychopathology of schizophrenia1or can be better explained as a toxic organic psychosis.2One of these alternatives might be favored by its resemblance to the complete dosage-response relationship of LSD. It is unfortunate for analogical comparison that early stages of toxic psychosis have rarely been described in a psychopathological framework3; on the other hand, there is a firm basis for comparison with various schizophrenic processes. This preliminary note reports