In a small preliminary study, women who received 15 micrograms of the psychedelic drug LSD focused for longer periods and responded faster to a stimulus than did those who were given a placebo. This effect was not observed for male participants. The study was presented on 12 October at a neuropsychology meeting, the ECNP Congress in Munich, Germany, by psychopharmacologist Iva Totomanova at Maastricht University in the Netherlands and her colleagues. The findings are 'very cool', says Conor Murray, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Los Angeles. 'This work is a notable addition to emerging evidence that low doses of LSD have cognitive benefits.' The data also suggest that some people might be more sensitive than others to small quantities of psychedelics, he adds. 'Microdosing' involves taking small doses of a psychedelic every few days, purportedly to improve mood and cognitive function. A typical microdose of LSD can be roughly one-tenth of the amount needed to...
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