Blood Flow and Cerebral Laterality in the Mescaline Model of Psychosis
Leo Hermle, Euphrosyne Gouzoulis‐mayfrank, Matthew W. Spitzer
Pharmacopsychiatry July 1, 1998 DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-979352 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Normal male volunteers |
| Intervention | Mescaline |
| Topics | Mescaline |
| Keywords | Psychotomimetic Neuropsychology Laterality Hallucinogen Psychosis Psychopathology Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Vigilance psychology Polygraph Right hemisphere Cerebral hemisphere Developmental psychology Cognitive psychology Cognition |
| Citations | 44 |
| Key findings | Mescaline induced a psychotomimetic state with decreased right hemisphere function on a neuropsychological task but increased right hemisphere activity on brain imaging, questioning hypofrontality as an explanation for acute psychosis. |
Abstract
The psychological, neuropsychological, and neurometabolic effects of the hallucinogenic agent mescaline were investigated in 12 normal male volunteers. Between 3 1/2 and 4 hours after drug intake, mescaline produced an acute psychotomimetic state, as measured by the BPRS and PDS-P. The APZ questionnaire revealed the specific effects of mescaline in the visual system. Neuropsychological effects were studied with a face/non-face decision task with known right hemisphere advantage, in which mescaline induced a decrease in functioning of the right hemisphere. In functional brain imaging using SPECT, mescaline produced a "hyperfrontal" pattern with an emphasis on the right hemisphere, which was correlated with mescaline-induced psychotomimetic psychopathology. Our findings question the validity of the concept of hypofrontality as an explanation for acute psychotic symptomatology.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on mescaline, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enzymatic Formation of Psychotomimetic Metabolites from Normally Occurring Compounds Rabbit lung | 1961 | Experimental study | |
| PSYCHOTOMIMETICS, CLINICAL AND THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS: HARMINE, WIN-2299 AND NALLINE Schizophrenic patients | 1957 | Experimental study | |
| Phencyclidine, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, and Mescaline: Cerebral Artery Spasms and Hallucinogenic Activity Isolated basilar and middle cerebral arteries | 1981 | Experimental study | |
| Acquired and Crossed Tolerance to Mescaline, LSD-25, and BOL-148 | 1959 | Experimental study | |
| Effects of Hallucinogenic and Tranquilizing Drugs on Serotonin Evoked Uterine Contractions. Uterus of spayed rat | 1956 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 35
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- Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology August 1, 2016
- Current perspectives on psychedelic therapy: use of serotonergic hallucinogens in clinical interventions International Review of Psychiatry July 4, 2018
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