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.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lasting Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of (??)Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (???Ecstasy???) in Recreational Users Persons who ingested large doses of MDMA | 1991 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Further Studies in the Therapeutic Value of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Mental Illness Patients with mental illness | 1957 | Case series | |
| Coma, Hyperthermia, and Bleeding Associated with Massive LSD Overdose a Report of Eight Cases People who self-administered large amounts of pure LSD powder intranasally | 1975 | Case series | n = 8 |
| Using a MDMA- and LSD-Group Therapy Model in Clinical Practice in Switzerland and Highlighting the Treatment of Trauma-Related Disorders Patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative,... | 2022 | Case series | |
| Persistent Palinopsia Following Ingestion of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) Patients who developed persistent palinopsia after LSD ingestion | 1996 | Case series | n = 3 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Hallucinogenic Persisting Perception Disorder: A Case Series and Review of the Literature Frontiers in Neurology May 6, 2022
- Case report: Prolonged amelioration of mild red-green color vision deficiency following psilocybin mushroom use Drug Science, Policy and Law 2023
- Visual hallucinations originating in the retinofugal pathway under clinical and psychedelic conditions. European Neuropsychopharmacology August 1, 2024
- Serotonin and brain function: a tale of two receptors. Journal of Psychopharmacology August 31, 2017
Cites 6
- Visual Phenomenology of the LSD Flashback Archives of General Psychiatry August 1, 1983
- Molecular genetic responses to lysergic acid diethylamide include transcriptional activation of MAP kinase phosphatase‐1, C/EBP‐β and ILAD‐1, a novel gene with homology to arrestins Journal of Neurochemistry June 18, 2004
- Blood Flow and Cerebral Laterality in the Mescaline Model of Psychosis Pharmacopsychiatry July 1, 1998
- Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder: what do we know after 50 years? Drug and Alcohol Dependence March 1, 2003
- Positron emission tomography and fluorodeoxyglucose studies of metabolic hyperfrontality and psychopathology in the psilocybin model of psychosis. Neuropsychopharmacology May 1997
and 1 more in the library