This review (2019) looked at the neuroimaging findings of LSD (75-100mcg, n=59) and found (amongst other things) increased connectivity with the thalamocortical (thalamus) system, proposing possible inhibiting filtering of external and internal data.
Abstract of Acute effects of lyserlon acid diethylamide (LSD) on resting brain function
“Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent hallucinogenic substance that was extensively investigated by psychiatrists during the 1950s and 1960s. Researchers were interested in the unique effects induced by this substance, some of which resemble symptoms seen in schizophrenia. Moreover, during that period LSD was studied and used for the treatment of several mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, addiction and personality disorders. Despite this long history of research, how LSD induces its specific effects on a neuronal level has been relatively unclear. In recent years there has been a revival of research in hallucinogenic drugs and their possible clinical applications. These contemporary studies in the UK and Switzerland include neuroimaging studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In this review, we collect and interpret these recent neuroimaging findings. Overall, previous results across studies indicate that LSD administration is associated with extensive alterations in functional brain connectivity, measuring the correlated activities between different brain regions. The studies mostly reported increases in connectivity between regions and, more specifically, consistently found increased connectivity within the thalamocortical system. These latter observations are in agreement with models proposing that hallucinogenic drugs exert their effects by inhibiting cerebral filtering of external and internal data. However, studies also face several limitations, including potential biases of neuroimaging measurements.”
Authors: Felix Müller & Stefan Borgwardt
Summary of Acute effects of lyserlon acid diethylamide (LSD) on resting brain function
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent hallucinogenic substance that can trigger profound changes in various mental domains.
After the discovery of LSD by Albert Hoffmann in 1943, the drug was commercialised by the Basel-based pharmaceutical company Sandoz for the use in psychiatry. The indications mentioned covered two areas: administration of LSD as an adjunct to psychotherapy and self-administration by the psychiatrist.
In recent years, several studies have investigated the effects of hallucinogenic drugs on healthy subjects. These studies have used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure the correlation of brain activity between different regions and have provided an interpretation of how the observed neuronal effects might evoke the profound subjective effects related to this substance. This review discusses studies that used moderate doses of LSD in healthy subjects. The studies used small sample sizes and had small effect sizes.
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Acute effects of lyserlon acid diethylamide (LSD) on resting brain function
https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2019.20124
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Cite this paper (APA)
Müller, F., & Borgwardt, S. (2019). Acute effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on resting brain function. Swiss medical weekly, 149(3940), w20124-w20124.
Study details
Compounds studied
LSD
Topics studied
Neuroscience
Study characteristics
Literature Review
Participants
59
Humans
Authors
Authors associated with this publication with profiles on Blossom
Felix MüllerFelix Müller is a researcher at the University of Basel. He is leading the research project on psychedelics at the Department of Psychiatry.