Allgemeine Informationen
  • Krankheitskategorie Hirnerkrankungen (nicht Krebs) , Erkrankungen des Nervensystems , Andere (BASEC)
  • Studienphase Phase 2 (ICTRP)
  • Rekrutierungsstatus Rekrutierung läuft (BASEC/ICTRP)
  • Studienstandort
    Basel
    (BASEC)
  • Studienverantwortliche Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Liechti matthias.liechti@usb.ch (BASEC)
  • Datenquelle(n) BASEC: Import vom 08.12.2025 ICTRP: Import vom 21.02.2025
  • Letzte Aktualisierung 08.12.2025 10:56
HumRes44565 | SNCTP000003144 | BASEC2018-01082 | NCT03781128

LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) - Treatment in patients with cluster headaches

  • Krankheitskategorie Hirnerkrankungen (nicht Krebs) , Erkrankungen des Nervensystems , Andere (BASEC)
  • Studienphase Phase 2 (ICTRP)
  • Rekrutierungsstatus Rekrutierung läuft (BASEC/ICTRP)
  • Studienstandort
    Basel
    (BASEC)
  • Studienverantwortliche Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Liechti matthias.liechti@usb.ch (BASEC)
  • Datenquelle(n) BASEC: Import vom 08.12.2025 ICTRP: Import vom 21.02.2025
  • Letzte Aktualisierung 08.12.2025 10:56

Zusammenfassung der Studie

Psychedelics (hallucinogens) may potentially alleviate cluster headaches. The study examines the effect of LSD on cluster headaches compared to placebo. A total of 30 patients will participate in this study. The study is conducted according to current Swiss laws and internationally recognized principles. The study has been approved by the local ethics committee and the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products Swissmedic, and an exception permit for the limited medical use of LSD has been issued by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

(BASEC)

Untersuchte Intervention

Psychedelics (hallucinogens) may potentially alleviate cluster headaches. The study examines the effect of LSD on cluster headaches compared to placebo. For this, 100 mcg of LSD will be administered on three study days within 3 weeks. Four months later, placebo will be administered on three study days within 3 weeks. During a treatment sequence, the same substance (LSD or placebo) will be administered three times in a row. The order of the treatment sequences will be determined randomly. However, each patient will receive LSD three times and placebo three times. A total of 30 patients will participate in this study. Over a total of 46 weeks, the course of cluster headaches will be examined using a standardized headache diary. Additionally, quality of life will be assessed using questionnaires. During the study days themselves, you will fill out a few questionnaires about the acute effect, and your blood pressure and pulse will be measured. The study includes an entry examination of 2 h, six study days of 10 h, two visits without study medication of 1 h between treatment days and after completion of all treatment days, as well as a final examination of 1 h.

(BASEC)

Untersuchte Krankheit(en)

Cluster headaches

(BASEC)

Kriterien zur Teilnahme
- 25-75 years - Chronic cluster headaches OR - Episodic cluster headaches with regularly recurring episodes lasting approximately 2 months - The attacks must respond to oxygen - You must be willing to adhere to the study protocol - You must be willing to pause certain medications taken both acutely and prophylactically for cluster headaches and possibly psychiatric medication during the active study days (duration depending on the substance, usually between 3-7 days) - You must be willing to refrain from driving vehicles or operating heavy machinery for 24 hours after substance intake - You must be willing to abstain from psychoactive substances during the study, not consume alcohol 24 hours before treatment, and refrain from nicotine 2 hours before to at least 6 hours after treatment (BASEC)

Ausschlusskriterien
- other causes of headache attacks (e.g., migraine) - Current or previous diagnosis of a psychotic or bipolar disorder. - Current or previous diagnosis of a psychotic disorder in first-degree relatives - Current substance dependence - severe physical illnesses - pregnant or breastfeeding women. - Participation in another clinical study (currently or within the last 30 days) (BASEC)

Studienstandort

Basel

(BASEC)

Switzerland (ICTRP)

Sponsor

Universitätsspital Basel

(BASEC)

Kontakt für weitere Auskünfte zur Studie

Kontaktperson Schweiz

Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Liechti

+41 61 328 68 68

matthias.liechti@usb.ch

Universitätsspital Basel

(BASEC)

Allgemeine Auskünfte

University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland,

0041 61 328 68 68;+41 61 328 68 68

matthias.liechti@usb.ch

(ICTRP)

Allgemeine Auskünfte

University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

0041 61 328 68 68+41 61 328 68 68

matthias.liechti@usb.chmatthias.liechti@usb.ch

(ICTRP)

Wissenschaftliche Auskünfte

University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland,

0041 61 328 68 68;+41 61 328 68 68

matthias.liechti@usb.ch

(ICTRP)

Name der bewilligenden Ethikkommission (bei multizentrischen Studien nur die Leitkommission)

Ethikkommission Nordwest- und Zentralschweiz EKNZ

(BASEC)

Datum der Bewilligung durch die Ethikkommission

16.07.2018

(BASEC)


ICTRP Studien-ID
NCT03781128 (ICTRP)

Offizieller Titel (Genehmigt von der Ethikkommission)
Safety and efficacy of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) as treatment for cluster headache: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II study (BASEC)

Wissenschaftlicher Titel
Safety and Efficacy of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) as Treatment for Cluster Headache: a Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Phase II Study (ICTRP)

Öffentlicher Titel
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) as Treatment for Cluster Headache (ICTRP)

Untersuchte Krankheit(en)
Cluster Headache (ICTRP)

Untersuchte Intervention
Drug: Lysergic Acid DiethylamideDrug: Placebo (ICTRP)

Studientyp
Interventional (ICTRP)

Studiendesign
Allocation: Randomized. Intervention model: Crossover Assignment. Primary purpose: Treatment. Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor). (ICTRP)

Ein-/Ausschlusskriterien
Inclusion Criteria:

- Age = 25 and = 75 years

- Chronic cluster headache (according to the International Headache Society (IHS)
criteria) OR

- Episodic cluster headache (according to the IHS criteria) with recurrent predictable
episodes lasting approximately 2 months and expected ongoing cluster period for at
least one month beyond the inclusion

- Attacks respond to oxygen

- Sufficient understanding of the study procedures and risks associated with the study

- Participants must be willing to adhere to the study procedures and sign the consent
form

- Participants are willing to abstain from taking preventive and abortive medication
(except from oxygen) long enough before and after the LSD/placebo treatment session
to avoid the possibility of a drug-drug interaction

- Participants are willing to refrain from taking any psychiatric medications during
the experimental session period. If they are being treated with antidepressants,
lithium or are taking anxiolytic medications on a fixed daily regimen, such drugs
must be discontinued long enough before the LSD/placebo treatment session to avoid
the possibility of a drug-drug interaction.

- Participants must also refrain from the use of any psychoactive drugs and caffeine
within 24 hours of each LSD/placebo treatment session. They must agree not to use
nicotine for at least 2 hours before and 6 hours after each dose of LSD. They must
agree to not ingest alcohol-containing beverages for at least 1 day before each LSD
treatment session. Non-routine medications for treating breakthrough pain taken in
the 24 hours before the LSD treatment session may result in rescheduling the
treatment session to another date, with the decision at the discretion of the
investigators after discussion with the participant.

- Participants must be willing not to drive a traffic vehicle or to operate machines
within 24 hours after LSD/placebo administration.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Other forms of headache attacks (migraine, paroxysmal hemicranias, shortlasting
unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection, tearing,
sweating and rhinorrhea (SUNCT) or with cranial autonomic symptoms (SUNA))

- Women who are pregnant, nursing or of child-bearing potential and are not practicing
an effective means of birth control (double-barrier method, i.e. pill/intrauterine
device and preservative/diaphragm)

- Past or present diagnosis of a primary psychotic disorder. Subjects with a first
degree relative with psychotic disorders are also excluded.

- Past or present bipolar disorder (DSM-IV).

- Current substance use disorder (within the last 2 months, DSM-V, except nicotine).

- Somatic disorders including severe cardiovascular disease, untreated hypertension
(systolic blood pressure > 160mmHg without treatment, systolic blood pressure > 140
mmHg with treatment), severe liver disease (liver enzymes increase by more than 5
times the upper limit of normal) or severely impaired renal function (estimated
creatinine clearance <30 ml/min), or other that in the judgement of the
investigators pose too great potential for side effects.

- Weight < 45kg

- Participation in another clinical trial (currently or within the last 30 days)

- Participants taking higher steroid doses (>10mg/d) over a longer time period (>2
weeks), as this would require tapering

- Use of immunomodulatory agents (i.e. azathioprine) in the past 2 weeks

- Use of serotonergic antiemetics (i.e. ondansetron) in the past 2 weeks (ICTRP)

nicht verfügbar

Primäre und sekundäre Endpunkte
Change in frequency of the cluster headache attacks;Change in intensity of the cluster headache attacks (ICTRP)

Episode abortion;Change in duration of attacks;Time to first attack after completion of pulse regimen;Cumulative time with headache;Change in cluster period duration and interval between cluster periods;Number of attacks requiring abortive medication;Number of Attack-associated autonomic symptoms;Quality of life assessed by questionnaires: 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36);Quality of life assessed by questionnaires: 5-level EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D-5L);Quality of life assessed by questionnaires: Headache Impact Test (HIT-6);Effects on depressive /anxious symptoms assessed by questionnaires: State-trait anxiety inventory (STAI);Effects on depressive /anxious symptoms assessed by questionnaires: Generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7);Effects on depressive /anxious symptoms assessed by questionnaires: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS);Effects on depressive /anxious symptoms assessed by questionnaires: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI);Effects on depressive /anxious symptoms assessed by questionnaires: Patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9);Acute autonomic effects assessed by blood pressure;Acute autonomic effects assessed by heart rate;Acute autonomic effects assessed by body temperature;Adverse Events;Acute psychological effects assessed by questionnaire Visual analogue scales (VAS);Acute psychological effects assessed by SCQ;Acute psychological effects assessed by questionnaire 5-dimensions of altered states of consciousness;Persisting effects attributed to the LSD experience;Change of attack frequency at the end of the study compared with baseline;Change of attack intensity at the end of the study compared with baseline;Change in attack frequency before and after pulse regimen;Change in attack intensity before and after pulse regimen;Blinding;Expectancy (ICTRP)

Registrierungsdatum
nicht verfügbar

Einschluss des ersten Teilnehmers
nicht verfügbar

Sekundäre Sponsoren
nicht verfügbar

Weitere Kontakte
Matthias Liechti;Matthias Liechti, Prof.;Matthias Liechti, Prof., matthias.liechti@usb.ch, 0041 61 328 68 68;+41 61 328 68 68, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland, (ICTRP)

Sekundäre IDs
BASEC 2018-01082 (ICTRP)

Angaben zur Verfügbarkeit von individuellen Teilnehmerdaten
No (ICTRP)

Weitere Informationen zur Studie
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03781128 (ICTRP)

Ergebnisse der Studie

Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse

nicht verfügbar

Link zu den Ergebnissen im Primärregister

nicht verfügbar