Class notes
PSYC 330 Hallucinogens Notes
- Course
- PSYC 330
- Institution
- State University Of New York - Binghamton
This is a comprehensive and detailed note on Chapter 12; Hallucinogens for Psyc 330. *Essential Study Material!!
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Hallucinogen→ Definition: drug that radically changes a person’s mental state by distorting the perception of
reality; to the point where hallucinations may occur
General Hallucinogen Overview
-Serotonergic Hallucinogens
-Methylated Amphetamines
-Anticholinergic Hallucinogens
-Dissociative Hallucinogens
Serotonergic Hallucinogens
-Act by changing serotonin 5-HT transmission
→ Mainly found in religious ceremonies
→ Mushroom (psilocybin) prior to 1000 BC
→ Still used today in Mexico rituals
**LSD is not naturally occurring, mimics → Mushrooms, DMT … etc.
First Discovery
-Began in Basil, Switzerland by chemist Dr. Albert Hoffman; 1938
→ Determined it was a derivative of ergot fungus
→ Accidentally stumbled on LSD after spilling it on his countertop and penetrated skin
- Major acid trip of 1943
- Began self experimentation, testing therapeutic windows, different doses ...
-Initially distributed for psychotherapy: Sandoz Labs
→ Break patients ego so psychotherapy would work better (change their mindset)
-No impact on US/Europe until 1960s psychedelic movement
→ 1960s comes around, takes over much of western culture
→ Became the most controversial drug of the time
- Nearly 2 million people tried LSD in the US in the 60’s
- Claims of health risks (insanity, suicide, violence)
→ Usage declined in the 1970s; Resurgence in the 1990s with some decline
LSD
-VERY POTENT
→ Comparison: A
spirin Tablet: 325,000 micrograms to produce efficacy
- LSD street dose 50-150 micrograms; effective dose as low as 10 mcg
→ Hoffman took 250 mcg on his 1st experiment
Serotonin
-Important in regulation of:
→ Sleep, mood, impulsivity, ad cognition
→ Found in brain, blood, GI tract
-Produced in the raphe nucleus
→ Serotonin os sent throughout the nervous system (brain & spinal cord)
, → Analgesia, sleepiness, changes in appetite
-7 classes of serotonin receptors
→ 14 known SUBTYPES
- Most are metabotropic, s ome are ionotropic
LSD Mechanism of Action
-Alters serotonin neurotransmitter system
→ May mimic natural serotonin
→ Higher affinity for certain serotonin receptors
- 5HT2A
→ Behaves as a partial agonist
Mescaline Mechanism of Action
-Another serotonergic psychoactive compound; found in Peyote Cactus
→ Mescaline chemical structure different from LSD, but still acts primarily on 5-HT receptors
- Cross-tolerance occurs between mescaline and LSD
Pharmacokinetics of Serotonin Hallucinogens
-LSD is most potent
→ Effects after 20 minutes; Lasts 8-12 hours
-Morning glory seeds (Lysergic Acid Amide) is less potent (10% LSD)
-Psilocybin is variable in mushrooms → 1% as potent as LSD
-DMT → plant used to make teas → Effects start 1 min after taking, lasts about an hour
→ Monoamine Oxidase inhibitors are in DMT, prevent breakdown to enhance effects
Psychotherapeutic Use?
-In the past:
→ Used to produce model psychosis
→ Induce hallucination analogous to schizophrenia in psychotherapists
- Visual vs. Auditory
→ Schizophrenia changes auditory perceptions, LSD changes visual
-Chlorpromazine is an effective antagonist of LSD
→ this is important because such drug is meant for anti-psychosis
-Psychotherapy:
→ Gain information from patients while they’re under influence
- Breaks down their ego defense
→ risks outweigh benefits = no good
Physiological Effects
-Similar to cocaine/amphetamines
→ Sympathomimetic
- Pupil dilation, increased HR/BP & body temp, sweating
-Visual, vivid, dreamlike hallucinations
→ Synesthesia
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