The lysergic acid diethylamide, better known by its English acronym LSD, remains classified as a "prohibited" substance around the globe, but recent years have seen advances in authorizing studies that allow us to evaluate its potential after decades of rejection. Researchers at Imperial College London have recently published images showing the effect of LSD on our brains, in an attempt to better understand how it works.
A Brief History of LSD
The history tells us that the creation of LSD dates back to 1938, when Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann first synthesized the substance from ergotamine. In the following years its psychedelic properties were discovered, and it even appeared legally on the pharmaceutical market under the name Delysid, but it took a drastic turn in the 1950s and 1960s. The CIA's MKUltra project essentially authorized its use on humans without proper consent, however, once LSD reached the hands of those representing the so-called "counterculture" of the 60s, the governments of the time declared it "Schedule 1", effectively making it illegal. The world of science had to wait four decades for the possibility of a new study on LSD, though with severe restrictions. At Imperial College London, they only obtained authorization after guaranteeing that LSD would not be administered as a "therapeutic drug", and they still had to battle the bureaucratic process for nine months, in addition to creating a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds.
The Study: Brain Activity Under LSD
The study focused on visualizing brain activity under the effects of LSD. The "trip" of the twenty volunteers (who had previous experience with psychedelic drugs) was relatively long, eight hours to be precise, and they received their dose by injection. The first thing detected was a notable increase in communication between different regions of the brain (even when they don't normally do so), and the interaction of the visual cortex with these regions stands out, which in part explains the whole chain of hallucinations associated with LSD. On the other hand, neural networks registered a decrease in blood flow and a loss of synchronization in their activity, something linked to the "dissolution of the ego".
LSD and Music
Another aspect to mention from the study is the relationship between LSD and music. The communication between the parahippocampus (memory storage) and the visual cortex reduces when a person takes LSD, but if music is listened to at the same time, the amount of information that passes from the parahippocampus to the cortex actually increases, a fact associated with the increase in vivid images and memories with eyes closed.
Future Research and Therapeutic Potential
The next step will be to study the effects of LSD on creativity, and in the future, researchers hope to have the possibility of finally evaluating LSD as a therapeutic resource, aiming at the treatment of various conditions, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic headaches, and even alcoholism.
Source: Source
