Never could I have imagined a point in science where the hallucinogenic drug LSD could actually aid in the treatment of some psychiatric disorders. At first glance, one may assume this to be a positive thing. Using a recreational drug as a means to study the effects on the human brain and analyze the correlations between the brain of a user on drugs and the brain of a psych patient. But therein lies the danger of it all. Why ingest a drug that will induce you to a state similar to psychosis. These people may already need to be in a mental hospital for the mere thought of it. Researchers from The University of Zurich have new evidence that the serotonin 2A receptor activated when using LSD could also be responsible for the mechanisms that are present for some psychological disorders.
To date, current forms of therapy for disorders such as depression or schizophrenia are limited and are only able to enact a slight change in behavior. Most patients do not interact with the medication well and do not wish to take it. One common side effect of mental illness is a feeling of inflated or weakened sense of self and this can be replicated through the use of LSD.
In this study, participants were given either a placebo, LSD, or LSD in combination with ketanserin, a drug used when trying to study the serotonin system. What they found was that when patients took LSD it affected their perceptions of their sense of self and others around them. In terms of a patient with schizophrenia, this could be a positive thing as it could potentially diminish their feelings of uneasiness towards familiar or unfamiliar faces. The brain regions normally active in separating yourself and others are less active under the influence of LSD. In those that also took ketanserin, this less active stage was effectively blocked.
The ultimate finding from this study was that the serotonin receptor does play a key role within this mechanism as seen when the mechanism was blocked in the presence of ketanserin. The second finding was that there is a correlation between sense of self and the way you socially interact based upon that initial reading of your sense of self. By better understanding this relationship, it could enable researchers to undercover better methods for the treatment of mental and psychotic disorders through the activation or inhibition of the serotonin 2A pathway.
Posted by “Lauren Hiller, Group B Week 5”
I have heard of LSD being used as a treatment before surprisingly. I also understand the reservations about it because of the known fact about what it does to the human mind. A good thing about this study was the fact that they were able to uncover that the serotonin receptor plays a key role in the mechanism.
ReplyDeletePosted by Danielle Bermingham
Very interesting. The point you brought up about how LSD changes perceptions of one's sense of self, and how that may be good for people with schizophrenia was very interesting because it almost seems like it actually could be a decent treatment. Do you think this could actually become a form of treatment for people with mental and psychotic disorders? Also, how would doctors avoid the possibilities of a "bad trip"?
ReplyDeletePosted by Josha Cruz
I don't think that they would ever actually use LSD as a treatment option, however I think it could be a very useful tool in determining how LSD affects certain pathways in the brain and then comparing that to the mechanisms affected in people with psychotic disorders. In this way, they may be able to come up with new drugs that work in similar ways to LSD but without the negative side effects.
DeletePosted by Lauren Hiller
I have heard about LSD use in medicine. I am not surprised that it has been used to treat depression and anxiety. I have also heard of micro-dosing hallucinogens in which a small portion (as little as 1/16th of a tab) is taken in doses. The effect of this is improved moods and boosted creative ability without the side effects of taking a full tab.
ReplyDelete- Posted by Priya Bikkani
I once read a book written by a law professor at the University of California Berkeley, which detailed her usage of self-prescribed low doses of LSD in order to cope with her mental illness, and if I remember correctly was major depressive disorder. She had a long history of pharmaceutical drug prescriptions that all were either ineffective or had unbearable side effects. She found that by taking a "micro-dose" of LSD she had a noticeable improvement of mood and mood regulation. Although LSD can mimic the effects of certain psychotic disorders when used irresponsibly, LSD has been documented to improve function and better both intra- and interpersonal relationships.
ReplyDeletePosted by Jamie Courtney
My discussion last week was on the usage of psilocybin (magic mushrooms) in medicine! LSD is a very unique chemical and does wonders in terms of serotonin. From my knowledge, psychedelics are really only useful to humans in microdoses. Was this found to be true for LSD as well?
ReplyDeleteI think you can think about it in terms of any kind of street drug. You take a little bit and it affects you a little bit. The same can be said for LSD. Other studies have shown exactly what you said, that LSD in microdoses has been found to actually aid in sharpening the focus of the mind. If taken in too much quantity, then it is essentially the same as have a psychotic disorder in terms of the reality of the world around you and how you see it shaped by LSD.
DeletePosted by Lauren Hiller
This is incredibly fascinating as I have heard of LSD and MDMA clinical trials being conducted for patients who possess post traumatic stress disorder from war. Of course these clinical trials are aimed at aiding veterans who have seen scarring scenes in the line of duty but this may open a way to more therapeutic approach towards these substances. Is there more than just the chemical serotonin involved with the substance and the brain?
ReplyDeletePosted by "Chorryi Chin"
In a social situation the first thing I analyze is how I am seen, and then in response to that analysis, I react to the situation. So basically people are self-conscious, and don't want to look stupid, and on a certain level, are socializing from a place of fear and therefore self-centeredness, as the focus of the interaction is entirely on the self. I think it is easier to win social interactions if you care less about how you are being perceived, that in itself is basically the definition of confidence, which allows you to be more present with your friend, and allows you to just be a better friend. Interestingly, confident people are perceived to have a better sense of self, because who they are is less affected by others. They have a higher sense of self through lower levels of self-consciousness.
ReplyDeletePosted by "Takoda Nordoff'
I'm wondering...did the patients give consent to these experiments? And given all the warnings of side effects and danger that may come along with ingesting the drug. Or are they aware beforehand if that they going to be taking a more dangerous drug compared to the other people? I also agree with you, though, that it's quite weird to give these people who are already mentally ill a drug that can mess with their brain and behavior.
ReplyDelete