LSD blurs boundaries between the experience of self and other
LSD reduces the borders between the experience of the self and others, and thereby affects social interactions. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now found that the serotonin 2A receptor in the human brain is critically involved in these intertwined psychological mechanisms . This knowledge could contribute to new therapies for psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or depression.
Researchers at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich have now investigated the links between changes in the sense of self and changes in social interaction, and the pharmacological mechanisms that play a role in these processes.
"LSD blurs the boundaries between one's own self and others during a social interactions," explains Katrin Preller. She led the research team of the Neuropsychology and Brain Imaging group together with Prof. Franz Vollenweider and cooperated with the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich on the study. While lying in an MRI scanner, study participants communicated with a virtual avatar by means of eye movements after having been administered a placebo, LSD, or LSD in combination with ketanserin.
Changes in social interaction
"This allowed us to show that brain regions which are important for distinguishing between self and others were less active under the influence of LSD," says Preller. "And this also changed social interactions." The researchers were also able to show that the LSD-induced changes were blocked by ketanserin indicating that the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2A receptor) plays a critical role in this mechanism.
Approaches for new drugs
These findings demonstrate that self-experience and social interaction are closely linked. Varying impairments of these intertwined processes could be the result of an impaired transfer of information mediated by the 5-HT2A receptor system. This could be important for the development of new pharmacological therapies. For example, blocking this receptor in patients suffering from an incoherent sense of self such as schizophrenia could improve their symptoms as well as their social abilities. On the other hand, stimulating this receptor could help patients who suffer from an increased self-focus, as is the case with depression, for example.
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More information: Journal of Neuroscience, DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1939-17.2018
