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Acute effects of MDMA and LSD co-administration in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy participants.

Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
December 1, 2023
Isabelle Straumann et al. (10 authors)
Randomized Controlled TrialJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether co-administration of MDMA could enhance the acute subjective effects of LSD and improve its safety profile.

Results Summary

MDMA co-administration with LSD prolonged subjective effects but did not improve their quality or safety. The combination increased physiological effects (blood pressure, heart rate, pupil size) and oxytocin levels more than LSD alone.

Population

24 healthy adults (12 women, 12 men)

Effective Dosage

100 mg MDMA and 100 µg LSD

Duration

Single-dose intervention (duration not specified)

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (11)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
co-administration of MDMA (100 mg) and LSD (100 µg)
no change
quality of acute subjective effects
24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men)
-
did not change the quality of acute subjective effects
#1
co-administration of MDMA (100 mg) and LSD (100 µg)
increase
duration of acute subjective effects
24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men)
-
acute subjective effects lasted longer
#2
co-administration of MDMA (100 mg) and LSD (100 µg)
increase
plasma concentrations of LSD
24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men)
-
higher plasma concentrations of LSD (Cmax and area under the curve)
#3
co-administration of MDMA (100 mg) and LSD (100 µg)
increase
plasma elimination half-life of LSD
24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men)
-
longer plasma elimination half-life of LSD
#4
LSD + MDMA combination
increase
blood pressure
24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men)
-
increased blood pressure more than LSD alone
#5
LSD + MDMA combination
increase
heart rate
24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men)
-
increased heart rate more than LSD alone
#6
LSD + MDMA combination
increase
pupil size
24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men)
-
increased pupil size more than LSD alone
#7
MDMA alone
increase
oxytocin levels
24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men)
-
increased oxytocin levels more than LSD alone
#8
LSD + MDMA combination
increase
oxytocin levels
24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men)
-
increased oxytocin levels more than LSD alone
#9
co-administration of MDMA (100 mg)
no change
acute effects
24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men)
-
did not improve acute effects
#10
co-administration of MDMA (100 mg)
no change
safety profile
24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men)
-
did not improve the safety profile
#11
Abstract

There is renewed interest in the use of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in psychiatric research and practice. Although acute subjective effects of LSD are mostly positive, negative subjective effects, including anxiety, may occur. The induction of overall positive acute subjective effects is desired in psychedelic-assisted therapy because positive acute experiences are associated with greater therapeutic long-term benefits. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produces marked positive subjective effects and is used recreationally with LSD, known as "candyflipping." The present study investigated whether the co-administration of MDMA can be used to augment acute subjective effects of LSD. We used a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design with 24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men) to compare the co-administration of MDMA (100 mg) and LSD (100 µg) with MDMA and LSD administration alone and placebo. Outcome measures included subjective, autonomic, and endocrine effects and pharmacokinetics. MDMA co-administration with LSD did not change the quality of acute subjective effects compared with LSD alone. However, acute subjective effects lasted longer after LSD + MDMA co-administration compared with LSD and MDMA alone, consistent with higher plasma concentrations of LSD (Cmax and area under the curve) and a longer plasma elimination half-life of LSD when MDMA was co-administered. The LSD + MDMA combination increased blood pressure, heart rate, and pupil size more than LSD alone. Both MDMA alone and the LSD + MDMA combination increased oxytocin levels more than LSD alone. Overall, the co-administration of MDMA (100 mg) did not improve acute effects or the safety profile of LSD (100 µg). The combined use of MDMA and LSD is unlikely to provide relevant benefits over LSD alone in psychedelic-assisted therapy. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04516902.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
MaleHumansFemaleN-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamineHallucinogensHealthy VolunteersLysergic Acid DiethylamideDouble-Blind MethodCross-Over Studies
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety60
Efficacy30/10
Quality85/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations23
Citations/Year11.5
Relative Citation Ratio7.02
NIH Percentile96%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score3.11
Normalized Score0.53
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