Hallucinogenic drugs

By: Mariah Valentine

2nd period
 The Effects of Hallucinogenic Drugs on The Brain
Hallucinnogenic Drugs alter a person's perceptions of reality and may
cause hallucinations and other alterations of the senses. Drugs classified as
hallucinogens include: LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-
methylamphetime(DOM), N,N-dimethyltrptamine(DMT), psilocin, and
mescaline. There is two aspects of these drugs that classify then as
hallucinogens. They all have the same side effects, for example distortion of
sensory perception. These drugs also exhibit cross-tolerance. Which means
that a user of hallucinogenic drugs develops a higher tolerance to
hallucinogens, the more they are used and the shorter the trip.
Hallucinogenic drugs have been used throughout history for a number
of reasons. They have been used as medicinal agents as well as having
served religious purposes. Hallucinogens such as mescaline have been used
in Native American ritual ceremonies. There was extensive usage of
hallucinogens in the 60's and 70's as part of the counter- culture hippie
movement. During the "acid tests" of this era, hallucinogenic drugs were
used for mind exploration.

Hallucinogenic drugs cause both physical and psychological effects on

humans. The physical effects of these drugs are dilated pupils, elevated body
temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, appetite loss,
sleeplessness, tremors, headaches, nausea, sweating, heart palpitations,
blurring of vision, memory loss, trembling, and itching. A user of
hallucinogenic drugs will also experience a number of psychological
alterations in the brain. These drugs may cause hallucinations and illusions
as well, as the amplification of sense, and the alterations of thinking and
self-awareness. It is possible to have a bad reaction to hallucinogenic drugs.
This is referred to as a "bad trip" and may cause panic, confusion, suspicion,
anxiety, and loss of control. The long-term effects of these drugs can be
dangerous. These long-term effects may include: flashbacks, mood swings,
impaired thinking, unexpected outbursts of violence and eventually possibly
depression that could lead to death or suicide.

Quite a lot of interest concerning hallucinogens has been generated by

neurobiologists and other scientists. The effects that hallucinogenic drugs
have on the brain are quite complicated and very interesting. Many users of
hallucinogenic drugs have experienced whole personality changes which
raises questions about the relationship of the brain and behavior. Scientists
are also curious as to how total alterations of the senses can occur as the
result of hallucinogen usage. Many people that have used hallucinogens
claim to have "seen sounds" or "heard colors". Scientists ask questions such
as: How can a person under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs see things
that aren't there? or How do flashbacks work? Another aspect of
hallucinogenic drugs that interests scientists is that they are psychomimetic
which means that they mimic certain aspects of psychosis. Through the use
of hallucinogenic drugs, one can induce temporary symptoms of psychosis.

As a result of the great interest in hallucinogens, many years of

research have been done to try and determine exactly how the brain is
affected by these drugs. Scientists have tried to determine if there is a
specific part of the brain where hallucinogens act. This has been difficult to
determine. Scientists still are unable to answer all questions about
hallucinogenic drugs. However they have been able to determine certain
areas of the brain that these drugs do act upon.

Scientists began to carefully study the serotonin system and found out
that hallucinogens do have some kind of effect on serotonin. Hallucinogenic
drugs cause an increase in the level of brain serotonin, but they inhibit the
rapid firing of neurons containing serotonin. This is a negative feedback
system in which as the serotonin level rises, the activity of serotonergic
neurons decreases. It was originally theorized that this effect of
hallucinogenic drugs directly caused sense alteration and hallucinations.
Several observations however have shown this theory not to be true. These
observations include the following: Low doses of LSD effect behavior, but do
not depress firing of serotonergic neurons, The behavioral effects of LSD
outlast the alteration of the firing of the serotonergic neurons, Repeated
dosage of LSD results in a decrease of behavioral changes, but still effects
neuron firing, Other hallucinogens do not affect serotonergic neurons, When
serotonin levels are depleted, the effectiveness of LSD is not eliminated.

It has now been determined that the effects of hallucinogenic drugs

are actually caused by the effects that hallucinogenic drugs have on the
post-synaptic activity of serotonergic neurons. Hallucinogenic drugs directly
affect the serotonin receptors(specifically the serotonin receptor subtype, 5-
HT2), which is what eventually results in a complex pattern of action
potentials and activity. This was proven by the fact that the depletion of
serotonin levels in animals does not result in a decrease of behavioral effects
caused by hallucinogenic drugs.

Hallucinations and other effects of hallucinogens are however very

complicated experiences. They are not simply a part of a cause and effect
system in the brain, where hallucinogenic drugs act on serotonin and cause
hallucinations. Instead, hallucinogenic drugs act initially on the serotonin
system, which sends into motion, a pattern of complex action potentials and
activity. Other neurotransmitters may be involved in these activities as well.
The effects that inputs and outputs have on each other in this system as well
as the pattern of action potentials mediated by hallucinogenic drugs help to
cause many of the complex changes that allow hallucinations to happen.
Scientists continue to do research to determine the exact effects that
hallucinogens have on the serotonin receptors and to answer any questions
that they cannot yet answer.