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Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging
Carhart-Harris, Robin L. Muthukumaraswamy, Suresh D. Roseman, Leor Kaelen, Mendel Droog, Wouter Murphy, Kevin Tagliazucchi, Enzo Schenberg, Eduardo E. Nest, Timothy Orban, Csaba
Carhart-Harris, Robin L.
Muthukumaraswamy, Suresh D.
Roseman, Leor
Kaelen, Mendel
Droog, Wouter
Murphy, Kevin
Tagliazucchi, Enzo
Schenberg, Eduardo E.
Nest, Timothy
Orban, Csaba
Author
Carhart-Harris, Robin L.
Muthukumaraswamy, Suresh D.
Roseman, Leor
Kaelen, Mendel
Droog, Wouter
Murphy, Kevin
Tagliazucchi, Enzo
Schenberg, Eduardo E.
Nest, Timothy
Orban, Csaba
Leech, Robert
Williams, Luke T. J.
Williams, Tim M.
Bolstridge, Mark
Sessa, Ben
McGonigle, John
Sereno, Martin I.
Nichols, David
Hellyer, Peter J.
Hobden, Peter
Evans, John
Singh, Krish D.
Wise, Richard G.
Curran, H. Valerie
Feilding, Amanda
Nutt, David J.
Muthukumaraswamy, Suresh D.
Roseman, Leor
Kaelen, Mendel
Droog, Wouter
Murphy, Kevin
Tagliazucchi, Enzo
Schenberg, Eduardo E.
Nest, Timothy
Orban, Csaba
Leech, Robert
Williams, Luke T. J.
Williams, Tim M.
Bolstridge, Mark
Sessa, Ben
McGonigle, John
Sereno, Martin I.
Nichols, David
Hellyer, Peter J.
Hobden, Peter
Evans, John
Singh, Krish D.
Wise, Richard G.
Curran, H. Valerie
Feilding, Amanda
Nutt, David J.
Abstract
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is the prototypical psychedelic drug, but its effects on the human brain have never been studied before with modern neuroimaging. Here, three complementary neuroimaging techniques: arterial spin labeling (ASL), blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) measures, and magnetoencephalography (MEG), implemented during resting state conditions, revealed marked changes in brain activity after LSD that correlated strongly with its characteristic psychological effects. Increased visual cortex cerebral blood flow (CBF), decreased visual cortex alpha power, and a greatly expanded primary visual cortex (V1) functional connectivity profile correlated strongly with ratings of visual hallucinations, implying that intrinsic brain activity exerts greater influence on visual processing in the psychedelic state, thereby defining its hallucinatory quality. LSD’s marked effects on the visual cortex did not significantly correlate with the drug’s other characteristic effects on consciousness, however. Rather, decreased connectivity between the parahippocampus and retrosplenial cortex (RSC) correlated strongly with ratings of “ego-dissolution” and “altered meaning,” implying the importance of this particular circuit for the maintenance of “self” or “ego” and its processing of “meaning.” Strong relationships were also found between the different imaging metrics, enabling firmer inferences to be made about their functional significance. This uniquely comprehensive examination of the LSD state represents an important advance in scientific research with psychedelic drugs at a time of growing interest in their scientific and therapeutic value. The present results contribute important new insights into the characteristic hallucinatory and consciousness-altering properties of psychedelics that inform on how they can model certain pathological states and potentially treat others.
Keywords
reflective practice, work integrated learning, clinical placement, performance improvement
Date
2016
Type
Journal article
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA
Book
Volume
113
Issue
17
Page Range
4853-4858
Article Number
ACU Department
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled