[2] Descarboxylysergic acid was synthesized in an attempt to help elucidate the minimum structural requirements for biological activity of ergoline and lysergamide drugs like LSD.

[2] Subsequent research by David E. Nichols found that descarboxylysergic acid did not show LSD-like effects in animal drug discrimination tests.

[7] According to Nichols, the simplest ergoline with definite known psychoactive effects in humans is the lysergamide lysergic acid amide (LSA; ergine).

[4][1][5][6] Although descarboxylysergic acid was significantly less potent than certain other ergolines like LSD and ergonine, it was said to still show high biological activity, comparable to drugs like ergonovine and methysergide.

[4][1][5] As a result, it has been concluded that the 8-position side chain is non-essential for activity, though it does appear to be required for extremely high potency as in drugs like LSD.