British Journal of Pharmacology
August 1, 1979
G. Curzon, J.c.r. Fernando, Andrew J. Lees
66 citations
Backward walking and circling in rats require simultaneous release of both dopamine and serotonin. A high dose of amphetamine (which releases dopamine) or drugs that release serotonin (p-chloroamphetamine or fenfluramine) each produced these behaviors. Combining smaller doses of amphetamine with either serotonin-releasing drug also triggered backward walking and circling. However, typical dopamine-driven behaviors (rearing, licking, gnawing) from amphetamine were greatly reduced by the serotonin drugs, while typical serotonin-driven behaviors (wet dog shake, hind limb abduction) were unaffected by amphetamine. Fragmentary backward walking and circling from levallorphan were reduced by low-dose amphetamine. The findings strengthen evidence that these movements depend on both dopamine and serotonin release, with possible relevance to hallucinogenic activity, amphetamine psychosis, schizophrenia, and abnormal movements from L-DOPA treatment.
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
January 1, 2020
Matthew Butler, Mathieu Seynaeve, Timothy R. Nicholson et al.
38 citations
Functional neurological disorder (FND), previously called conversion disorder, is common in neurology clinics and causes substantial disability, but treatment options are limited. Psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD may help by altering brain circuits involved in self-representation, which is thought to be disrupted in FND. A systematic review of nine studies from 1954 to 1967, involving 26 patients, found that most received psychotherapy with variable adjunctive psychedelic use (psycholytic therapy). Of those treated, 69% (18 patients) showed at least some recovery on subjective clinician-rated criteria. Adverse events were mostly mild, though one patient withdrew due to distressing effects. All studies were low quality, lacking controls and valid outcome measures, so no conclusions on efficacy can be drawn.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 10, 2017
Andrew J. Lees
4 citations
In 1953, William S. Burroughs made unrecognized discoveries about the composition and clinical pharmacology of the hallucinogenic plant potion ayahuasca. His voucher sample of Psychotria viridis and a letter to ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes are published here for the first time.
Brain Communications
January 1, 2025
Christos Ganos, Michael A Ferguson, Kurt Gray et al.
Religious traditions worldwide include specific actions, termed religious motor behaviours, that can be classified using concepts from movement neuroscience and neurology. These behaviours range from decreased motor output, such as ritualistic silence, to increased output like ritual dances. They also vary in the experience of volition: some involve a heightened sense of personal control, while others feel controlled by an external divine source. Examples include repetitive rituals, automatisms with altered volition, and possession-like states. The authors show parallels between these religious behaviours and motor phenomena in neurological disorders, particularly functional neurological symptoms, without pathologizing them. The work highlights how movement neuroscience and religious activity can inform each other.
Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
July 20, 2020
Matthew Butler, Mathieu Seynaeve, Timothy R. Nicholson et al.
Functional neurological disorder (FND) causes significant disability, yet treatment options are limited. A systematic review of nine studies from 1954–1967 involving 26 patients found that psychedelics, primarily LSD (25–2,000 mcg) and psilocybin (3–15 mg), were used alongside psychotherapy. After treatment, 69% of patients showed at least some recovery, and 23% fully recovered. Adverse events were mild and transient. Although the studies were low quality and lacked control groups, the degree of improvement suggests psychedelics may be a promising treatment for FND, warranting modern research.
Communications Biology
September 8, 2022
Angeliki Zarkali, Andrea I. Luppi, Emmanuel A. Stamatakis et al.
People with Parkinson's disease who experience hallucinations spend more time in a brain state where regions are functionally segregated from one another and make fewer transitions between brain states. The shift from an integrated to a segregated state requires less energy in those who hallucinate, making that state potentially preferable. The regional energy needed for this transition correlates with neurotransmitter density and gene expression for serotoninergic, GABAergic, noradrenergic, and cholinergic receptors, but not dopaminergic receptors. The findings suggest that neurochemistry and brain structure together shape the dynamic brain states that underlie hallucinations.