Lep Adams

Professor Kinder

Cause and Effect, LSD

11/12/08

LSD and the Brain, Side Effects and Possible Medical Use

Acid or lysergic acid diethylamide, more commonly known as LSD, is a potent

illicit drug of the sixties, which had advocates such as Timothy Leary and Ken Kieze

causing scientists in the growing field of neuroscience to take notice. Interest in the drug

expanded to studies into the effects of LSD on the brain and its receptors , side

effects of acute and chronic use on the nervous system and possible medical use. The

drug also has a mystical side. It’s non toxic feature has also opened theories on its uses

for enlightenment. This drug, synthesized from the ergot fungi not only expanded

neuroscience but also opened minds and gave relief to headache pain sufferers.

LSD affects the brain in a complex interaction between the drug and both the

serotoninergic and dopaminergic systems (Giacomelli et al. abstract). In the

serotoninergic system LSD affects two key receptors agoistically. This activity at the

5ht2a and 5-ht2c receptors indicates that these receptors may be the initiating site of

hallucinogenic effect on the user (Egan et al. abstract). In the dopaminergic system

LSD has a specific effect on the D2 dopaminergic receptor. As a result, LSD produces

a dose-dependent inhibition of prolactin secretion. This was determined by a study of the

functional actions of LSD at dopaminergic receptors using prolactin secretion by primary

cultures of rat pituitary cells as a model. This indicates that LSD also has a unique

capacity for controlling dopaminergic transmission (Giaconelli et al. abstract). Because

of the effects on the two systems, LSD inhibits NMDA receptor-mediated transmission.

As a result, indoleamines hallucinogens may produce the hallucinogenic effects through

interacting with 5-ht2a receptors by a Ca2+/CaM-KII dependent signal transduction

pathway acting as a partial agonists and controlling the NMDA receptors-mediated

sensory, perceptual, affective and cognitive processes ( Arvanov et al.). The

noradrenergic locus coeruleus and the cerebral cortex are the sites where hallucinogens

have drastic effects through their actions upon the 5-ht2a receptors (Aghajaian, abstract).

The side effects of LSD can be broken down into three groups. The first of which

is acute effects, which is followed by effects on the nervous system and then the chronic

effects. The effects resulting in acute exposure are as follows: Nausea, vomiting,

occasional diarrhea, sweating, headache, hypertension, tachycardia, twitching and

tremors. Convulsions and coma may also occur (Erowid). The experience usually

depends on the user and the user’s mood. Some other central nervous system responses

are euphoria, excitability, impaired judgment and delirium. A psychotic state that is

marked by hallucinations may also include animals, geometric designs and sometimes

human forms. It can also cause illusions and distortions of color and texture. Bright,

shimmering lights and seeing sounds may also happen. Rare but documented reports of

anxiety, panic attacks, intense depression and suicide attempts are also possible. The

third category of side effects of LSD is the chronic exposure. Negative effects are

flashbacks that may come weeks or months after use . These can include hallucinations

and distortions of perception. Time and space become seen as different levels of

consciousness and self perception is different and separate from the personality. In

addition to the negative side effects of LSD, there have been some positive reports linked
to chronic LSD use. Some users claim that they have discovered their inner selves and

their whole lives have meaning while others have been hospitalized with LSD psychosis

(Erowid, Material Safety Data Sheet).

LSD use has been linked to “enlightment” as some users of the drug explain.

There is some evidence to support similarities of mystical experience and LSD use. LSD

works on serotonin and opens the neocortex filter that normally filters out information

that is not necessary for survival. As a result, a large amount of sensory information is

processed and a vast amount of information is perceived as important. This may account

for the feeling of altered consciousness chronic users report (Goodman).

Another area LSD is being used with positive results is medically for cluster

headaches. It is being used successfully underground for migraine and cluster headaches.

Cluster headaches are sometimes called suicide headaches because the pain is so great

and no legal drug effectively stops or prevents the disease. Low doses of LSD have been

used to treat these headaches illegally as well as legal drugs that are chemically similar to

LSD. All of these are thought to contain a indole ring structure (Erowid. Cluster

headache treatment with Psilocybin Mushrooms and LSD).

LSD is potent but not toxic. It affects the user differently depending on the

amount and the user’s mood. It does have very harmful side effects with acute and/or

chronic use, but it also has some beneficial uses that are being studied. The

enlightenment or altered consciousness effect has profoundly affected some users and

they claim that their life is changed for the better. However, the user that experiences

negative side effects can have experiences ranging from mild anxiety to suicidal

depression. Cluster headache patients are not waiting for research to confirm their
relief. They are getting relief from small doses of LSD. As the field of neuroscience

continues to grow, so will the research of the effects of LSD on the central nervous

system.