…[ketanserin & LSD dosed] brains reveal how [LSD] creates the psychedelic experience
Though the thalamus and PCC seem to be important areas to focus on, other studies have revealed that LSD’s effects ripple through many interconnected parts of the brain.
They gave some of their 24 participants both LSD and a drug called ketanserin, which blocks serotonin receptors. And sure enough, when they used the 5-Dimensions Altered States of Consciousness questionnaire to figure out who tripped, they found that “all LSD-induced subjective drug effects were blocked by Ket.” Diving deeper, they showed that LSD interrupts one big circuit of brain regions: The altered serotonin activity reduces the striatum’s influence on the thalamus, which in turn opens up the thalamic filter to a specific part of the cortex called the PCC (posterior cingulate cortex). It sounds like the PCC is going to be a big part of psychedelics research going forward. “In particular, the present results pinpoint the role of the thalamus–PCC connection for the effects of psychedelics,” they write.
Original Article (Inverse):
It’s Tripping Brains Reveal How the Drug Creates the Psychedelic Experience
Artwork Fair Use: Public Domain
