LSD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Using fMRI and MEG to investigate the effect of LSD on brain activity in healthy hallucinogen-experienced volunteers
IRAS ID
107321
Contact name
David Nutt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Research summary
Lay summary of study results: Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), the prototypical "psychedelic," may be unique among psychoactive substances. In the decades that followed its discovery, the magnitude of its effect on science, the arts, and society was unprecedented. LSD produces profound, sometimes life-changing experiences in microgram doses, making it a particularly powerful scientific tool. Here we sought to ex- amine its effects on brain activity, using cutting-edge and com- plementary neuroimaging techniques in the first modern neuroimaging study of LSD. Results revealed marked changes in brain blood flow, electrical activity, and network communication patterns that correlated strongly with the drug's hallucinatory and other consciousness-altering properties. These results have implications for the neurobiology of consciousness and for po- tential applications of LSD in psychological research.
REC name
London - West London & GTAC Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/0229
Date of REC Opinion
30 Apr 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion