Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging
Peter J. Hellyer, Luke T. Williams, Ben Sessa, Mark Bolstridge, Mendel Kaelen, Robin Carhart‐Harris, Enzo Tagliazucchi, Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, H. Valerie Curran, Richard G. Wise, Robert Leech, Krish D. Singh, Martin I. Sereno, Timothy Nest, Peter Hobden, John Evans, John Mcgonigle, Amanda Feilding, Wouter Droog, Leor Roseman, David Nutt, Kevin Murphy, M. Williams, Tim, Csaba Orbán, Eduardo Ekman Schenberg, David E. Nichols
UNC Libraries April 22, 2020 DOI: 10.17615/et5z-st50 via OpenAlex
Summary
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in microgram doses produces profound, sometimes life-changing experiences and is a uniquely powerful psychoactive substance. In the first modern neuroimaging study of LSD, marked changes in brain blood flow, electrical activity, and network communication patterns were observed. These changes correlated strongly with the drug's hallucinatory and consciousness-altering properties. The findings have implications for understanding the neurobiology of consciousness and for potential applications of LSD in psychological research.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) |
| Dose | microgram doses |
| Keywords | Neuroimaging Cognitive psychology Neuroscience Cognition |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | LSD produced marked changes in brain blood flow, electrical activity, and network communication patterns that correlated strongly with its hallucinatory and consciousness-altering properties. |
Abstract
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), the prototypical “psychedelic,” may be unique among psychoactive substances. In the decades that followed its discovery, the magnitude of its effect on science, the arts, and society was unprecedented. LSD produces profound, sometimes life-changing experiences in microgram doses, making it a particularly powerful scientific tool. Here we sought to examine its effects on brain activity, using cutting-edge and complementary neuroimaging techniques in the first modern neuroimaging study of LSD. Results revealed marked changes in brain blood flow, electrical activity, and network communication patterns that correlated strongly with the drug’s hallucinatory and other consciousness-altering properties. These results have implications for the neurobiology of consciousness and for potential applications of LSD in psychological research.