A case of persistent visual hallucinations of faces following LSD abuse: a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging study.
Giuseppe Iaria, Christopher J Fox, Michael Scheel, Robert M Stowe, Jason J S Barton
Neurocase April 2010 DOI: 10.1080/13554790903329141 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A patient experiencing face hallucinations triggered by looking at trees |
| Topics | LSD |
| Key findings | Within the fusiform face area, neural activity decreased during face hallucinations but increased during veridical face perception, suggesting distinct neural mechanisms underlying hallucinatory versus veridical face perception. |
Abstract
In this study, we report the case of a patient experiencing hallucinations of faces that could be reliably precipitated by looking at trees. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), we found that face hallucinations were associated with increased and decreased neural activity in a number of cortical regions. Within the same fusiform face area, however, we found significant decreased and increased neural activity according to whether the patient was experiencing hallucinations or veridical perception of faces, respectively. These findings may indicate key differences in how hallucinatory and veridical perceptions lead to the same phenomenological experience of seeing faces.