LSD (100μg) increased social adaptation in a double-blind, randomized, counterbalanced, cross-over study, but only when opinions were similar to one’s own.
Abstract of LSD-induced increases in social adaptation to opinions similar to one’s own are associated with stimulation of serotonin receptors
“Adapting one’s attitudes and behaviors to group norms is essential for successful social interaction and, thus, participation in society. Yet, despite its importance for societal and individual functioning, the underlying neuropharmacology is poorly understood. We therefore investigated its neurochemical and neural correlates in a pharmacological functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has been shown to alter social processing and therefore provides the unique opportunity to investigate the role of the 5-HT2A receptor in social influence processing. Twenty-four healthy human volunteers received either (1) placebo + placebo, (2) placebo + LSD (100 µg), or (3) the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist ketanserin (40 mg) + LSD (100 µg) at three different occasions in a double-blind, randomized, counterbalanced, cross-over design. LSD increases social adaptation but only if the opinions of others are similar to the individual’s own. These increases were associated with increased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex while participants received social feedback. Furthermore, pretreatment with the 5-HT2A antagonist ketanserin fully blocked LSD-induced changes during feedback processing, indicating a key role of the 5-HT2A system in social feedback processing. Our results highlight the crucial role of the 5-HT-system in social influence and, thus, provide important insight into the neuropharmacological basis of social cognition and behavior.”
Authors: Patricia Duerler, Leonhard Schilbach, Philipp Stämpfli, Franz X. Vollenweider & Katrin H. Preller
Summary of LSD-induced increases in social adaptation to opinions similar to one’s own are associated with stimulation of serotonin receptors
Social influence is omnipresent in our everyday life and is deeply rooted in human nature. The brain regions associated with conflict detection, reinforcement learning, and social cognition are involved in adapting to social norms.
Most studies have focused on localizing brain regions implicated in social influence processing, but few have investigated the role of the serotonin (5-HT) system in humans in these processes.
LSD is a classic psychedelic substance that has predominantly agonistic activity at 5-HT2A, -1A/B, -6 and -7 and dopamine (D) D1 and D2 receptors. It has been shown to modulate social behavior and interaction, as well as brain activity and connectivity in areas related to social processing.
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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68899-y
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Cite this paper (APA)
Duerler, P., Schilbach, L., Stämpfli, P., Vollenweider, F. X., & Preller, K. H. (2020). LSD-induced increases in social adaptation to opinions similar to one’s own are associated with stimulation of serotonin receptors. Scientific reports, 10(1), 12181.
Study details
Compounds studied
LSD
Topics studied
Personality
Healthy Subjects
Study characteristics
Placebo-Controlled
Double-Blind
Within-Subject
Randomized
Re-analysis
Participants
24
Humans
Institutes
Institutes associated with this publication
University of ZurichWithin the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics at the University of Zurich, Dr Mialn Scheidegger is leading team conducting psychedelic research and therapy development.
Compound Details
The psychedelics given at which dose and how many times
LSD 100 μg | 1xLinked Clinical Trial
The Role of 5-HT2A Receptor in the Perception of Self and Personal Meaning in Healthy VolunteersAim of the present study is to investigate the neuronal correlates of self and of personal meaning as well as the role of the serotonin (5-HT) 2A receptor system in these processes using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and psychometric and cognitive measures.