Neuronal Correlates of Altered States of Consciousness (5HT2A-fMRI)

The aim of the present study is to assess the neuronal correlates of alterations in waking consciousness pharmacologically induced by a 5-hydroxytryptamine (HT)2A receptor agonist in healthy subjects using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Topic Healthy Subjects
Compound LSD
Country Switzerland
Visit trial
Status Completed
Results Published Yes
Start date 01 December 2014
End date 10 September 2015
Chance of happening 100%
Phase Phase I
Design Open
Type Interventional
Generation First
Participants 24
Sex All
Age 25- 65
Therapy No

Trial Details

Functional neuroimaging may be useful in the diagnosis and characterization of early schizophrenia. However, little is known about how the subjectively experienced alterations in consciousness and perception are related with objective neuroimaging measures. The present study explores the association of subjective alterations and objective imaging findings and will inform us on the neuronal correlates of psychotic states and whether subjective alterations in perception translate into neuronal activation patterns that can be objectively measured in a brain scanner. Therefore, alterations in consciousness will be assessed in 20 healthy subjects using a random order 2-period (normal and altered state of consciousness) cross-over design. Alterations in consciousness will be induced by the hallucinogenic 5-hydroxytryptamine (HT)2A receptor agonist (5-HT2A) receptor agonist lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

NCT Number NCT02308969

Sponsors & Collaborators

University of Basel
The University of Basel Department of Biomedicine hosts the Liechti Lab research group, headed by Matthias Liechti.

Papers

Acute LSD effects on response inhibition neural networks
This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study (n=18) investigated the effects of LSD (100 µg) with respect to underlying mechanisms of visual hallucinations in healthy volunteers. Acute LSD administration significantly increased subjective feelings of impaired cognitive control and visual imagery, corresponding to deficits in inhibitory processing of external stimuli mediated via reduced activation of parahippocampal–prefrontal regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex.

A Single Dose of LSD Does Not Alter Gene Expression of the Serotonin 2A Receptor Gene (HTR2A) or Early Growth Response Genes (EGR1-3) in Healthy Subjects
Regarding the phenomenon of rapid tolerance after repeated use of LSD, this double-blind study (2017, n=15) found that a single dose of LSD (100 μg) did not alter gene expression of the serotonin (5-HT) 2A receptor gene.

Data attribution

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