The first modern imaging study into the effects of the hallucinogenic
drug acid on the brain could lead to its use treating psychiatric
diseases, according to researchers. The study, published in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, picks up where experts in the 1960s
left off when the US banned lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD – a
psychedelic drug that can alter thought patterns, cause visual hallucinations
and induce life-changing psychological effects. Prior to being made illegal,
LSD was being trialled as a treatment in psychology and psychiatry. But
because research was cut off, modern technologies such as brain scans,
and imaging of nervous systems, were never used to study LSD’s effects.
So researchers led by Robin Carhart-Harris from Imperial College London
applied a series of neuroimaging techniques to track the effects of LSD
on the human brain. On two days, a group of volunteers were given either
an injection of 75 micrograms of LSD or a placebo before neuroimaging began.
While being scanned, volunteers were asked to rate the visual hallucinations
and altered thought patterns they experienced during the study. The neuroimaging
results revealed significant shifts in “blood flow to the brain, electrical
activity, and network communication patterns”, which correlate with the drug’s
mind-altering effects.
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flow to the brain. “A far greater proportion of the brain contributes to
visual processing in the LSD state than under normal conditions,” the paper
reflects. And increased or decreased connectivity between particular regions
of the brain affects image processing and states of consciousness while the
patient experiences LSD’s effects. These interrupted networks can account
for feelings of being at one with the Universe: the disintegration of "self",
or drug-induced ego-dissolution. Given these extreme changes in brain activity,
some experts theorise that psychedelics could eventually be used to help break
down the pathological behaviours associated with some psychiatric disorders.
The paper points out the uniqueness of LSD among other substances, due to the
significant impacts it had on science, psychology and culture following its
discovery in the mid-20th century. “LSD produces profound, sometimes life-
changing experiences in microgram doses, making it a particularly powerful
scientific tool.” The researchers hope their findings will contribute to the
ongoing pool of knowledge around the workings of psychedelics, as “evidence
supporting the therapeutic potential of psychedelics mounts”.
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