Psychedelics as a treatment for disorders of consciousness
Gregory Scott, Robin Carhart-Harris
Neuroscience of Consciousness 2019 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niz003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Persistent vegetative state Level of consciousness Cognitive psychology Consciousness disorders Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 72 |
| Key points | Proposes that psilocybin may increase conscious awareness in patients with disorders of consciousness by increasing brain complexity. |
Abstract
Based on its ability to increase brain complexity, a seemingly reliable index of conscious level, we propose testing the capacity of the classic psychedelic, psilocybin, to increase conscious awareness in patients with disorders of consciousness. We also confront the considerable ethical and practical challenges this proposal must address, if this hypothesis is to be directly assessed.