Altered states: psychedelics and anesthetics.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 24061599.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1097/01.anes.0000435635.42332.ee.
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Abstract
The psychedelic experience has been reported since antiquity, but there is relatively little known about the underlying neural mechanisms. A recent neuroimaging study on psilocybin revealed a pattern of decreased cerebral blood flow and functional disconnections that is surprisingly similar to that caused by various anesthetics. In this article, the authors review historical examples of psychedelic experiences induced by general anesthetics and then contrast the mechanisms by which these two drug classes generate altered states of consciousness.
Medical subject headings
- Anesthetics
- Consciousness Disorders
- Hallucinogens