The effects of LSD and some analogues on the responses of single cortical neurons of the cat to optical stimulation.
The effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and its analogues, 2-bromo-LSD (BOL) and methysergide, have been investigated on the responses to photic stimulation of single neurons in the striate cortex of the paralyzed, anesthetized cat. Systemic LSD (0.1--50 micrograms/kg, i.v.) produced: (a) enhancement or depression of evoked activity, the former being common with low, the latter with high doses; (b) changes in directional selectivity; and (c) changes in unstimulated background discharges. The effectiveness of the drug was reduced by repeated administration. Both BOL (10--75 micrograms/kg) and methysergide (100-700 micrograms/kg) produced effects qualitatively similar to LSD, but were considerably less potent. Microelectrophoretic administrations of LSD to single cortical neurons had actions similar to those caused by intravenous administration. BOL and methysergide required much larger currents to produce any effect and sometimes no effect could be induced by iontophoresis. It was concluded that these drugs influence visually evoked neuronal responses mainly by acting directly on cortical cells or synapses; and that the interference with visual cortical function could account for the distortion of visual perception caused by lysergic acid analogues; but that the hallucinogenic and psychotomimetic actions of LSD probably require additional subcortical effects.
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008784:Methysergide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000187:drug effects*
D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; D008784:Methysergide