Dose-dependent LSD effects on cortical/thalamic and cerebellar activity: brain oxygen level-dependent fMRI study in awake rats.
Brain communications January 1, 2024 Ashley Ghaw, Alisha Chunduri, Arnold Chang et al. 13 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) produced a dose-dependent increase in negative blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal, indicating decreased brain activity, in awake rats. The most affected regions were the primary olfactory system, prefrontal cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus. Contrary to the hypothesis that LSD would increase activity in the prefrontal cortex and thalamus while decreasing hippocampal activity, the results showed an acute decrease in activity across these areas. However, functional connectivity increased between the thalamus and somatosensory cortex, and between the cerebellar nuclei and surrounding brainstem areas. The enhanced thalamus-sensorimotor connectivity aligns with human studies, while the unexpected increase in cerebellar nuclei connectivity raises questions about its role in hallucinogenic effects.