Research at Imperial College London has suggested that the use of hallucinogenic drugs (psychedelic drugs) such as LSD and magic mushrooms could be decreasing brain activity by reducing blood flow to certain areas of the brain and decreasing brain connectivity. Particularly, blood flow was reduced to the thalamus, the region of the brain that relays sensory information to other areas of the brain. A decrease in connectivity between the hippocampus and the posterior and also the medial prefrontal cortex. The research used fMRI scans for the thirty volunteers who had been injected with the drug psilocybin. The results were surprising given that it is generally believed that the use of psychedelic drugs increases brain activity. It is thought that psychedelic drugs could be used to treat people who are suffering with depressing; scans have shown that these regions of the brain with overactivity have been linked with depression.
The drug that had been tested at Imperial was found to have a similar chemical structure to the neurochemical transmitter serotonin. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter responsible for moods and mood swings based on the levels of serotonin present; it is mainly found in the nervous system, blood platelets and bowels. Psilocybin binds to cell receptors for serotonin which are targeted for depression treatment.Researchers in Switzerland have suggested that it is not only the short term effects that could be useful for treating depression but also the clinical long term effects. Psilocybin could be responsible for increased gene expression and proteins that contribute to the growth of nervous tissues and also promote long-term neuroplasticity.
Effects of psychedelic drugs
Research at Imperial College London has suggested that the use of hallucinogenic drugs (psychedelic drugs) such as LSD and magic mushrooms could be decreasing brain activity by reducing blood flow to certain areas of the brain and decreasing brain connectivity. Particularly, blood flow was reduced to the thalamus, the region of the brain that relays sensory information to other areas of the brain. A decrease in connectivity between the hippocampus and the posterior and also the medial prefrontal cortex. The research used fMRI scans for the thirty volunteers who had been injected with the drug psilocybin. The results were surprising given that it is generally believed that the use of psychedelic drugs increases brain activity. It is thought that psychedelic drugs could be used to treat people who are suffering with depressing; scans have shown that these regions of the brain with overactivity have been linked with depression.
The drug that had been tested at Imperial was found to have a similar chemical structure to the neurochemical transmitter serotonin. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter responsible for moods and mood swings based on the levels of serotonin present; it is mainly found in the nervous system, blood platelets and bowels. Psilocybin binds to cell receptors for serotonin which are targeted for depression treatment.Researchers in Switzerland have suggested that it is not only the short term effects that could be useful for treating depression but also the clinical long term effects. Psilocybin could be responsible for increased gene expression and proteins that contribute to the growth of nervous tissues and also promote long-term neuroplasticity.
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However, the effects of psychedelic drugs are not all beneficial because long term usage can cause increased blood pressure (hypertension) which gives an increased risk of stroke, heart disease and heart attacks. Other effects include nausea, increased body temperature and ataxia (a disorder that effects co-ordination). Hallucinogenics have been used to create sensations that appear real; sometimes these hallucinations ( drug induced psychosis) are positive and cause enlightening feelings whereas they may also be negative and bring on periods of anxiety.
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