Hallucinogenic Drug-Induced Behavior Under Sensory Attenuation
Archives of General Psychiatry March 1, 1973 DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.1973.01750330106017 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAmong college-age subjects given 160 μg/kg psilocybin under conditions of sensory attenuation, only those with high variability in predrug handwriting area (the "variable" subjects) showed a significant decrease in mean pulse rate and increase in handwriting area. These variable subjects also reported consistently more intense drug-induced experiences than those with low variability. The degree of variability on perceptual-behavioral measures, such as the standard deviation of handwriting area, predicts the intensity of the ensuing drug experience.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | College-age subjects |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Dose | 160μg/kg |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Sensory system Attenuation Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key finding | Variability on perceptual-behavioral measures, such as handwriting area standard deviation, predicts the intensity of psilocybin-induced experiences under sensory attenuation. |
Abstract
Eight "stable" and four "variable" college-age subjects were given 160μg/kg psilocybin under conditions of sensory attenuation. Stability was defined by the magnitude of the standard deviation on handwriting area under predrug conditions. Only the variable subjects, our large-standard deviants, responded to the drug with a significant decrease in mean pulse rate and increase in handwriting area. They also reported consistently more intense experiences under psilocybin than the small-standard deviants. The degree of variability on perceptual-behavioral measures, such as the SD on handwriting area, is significantly related to, and therefore a predictor of, the intensity of the ensuing drug-induced experience.