Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34708255›Full record

Trial reportPsychopharmacology2022

Low-dose LSD and the stream of thought: Increased Discontinuity of Mind, Deep Thoughts and abstract flow.

Isabel Wießner, Marcelo Falchi, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, Lucas Oliveira Maia, Amanda Feilding, Sidarta Ribeiro, Natália Bezerra Mota, Draulio B Araujo, Luís Fernando Tófoli

Open access · greenAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychopharmacology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Isabel WießnerDepartment of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo 126, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-887, Brazil. isabel.wiessner@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1653-2565
Marcelo FalchiDepartment of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo 126, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-887, Brazil.
Fernanda Palhano-FontesBrain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Lucas Oliveira MaiaDepartment of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo 126, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-887, Brazil.
Amanda FeildingThe Beckley Foundation, Beckley Park, Oxford, UK.
Sidarta RibeiroBrain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Natália Bezerra MotaBrain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Draulio B AraujoBrain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
Luís Fernando TófoliDepartment of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo 126, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-887, Brazil.
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) · BRUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte · BRBeckley Foundation · GBUniversidade Federal de Pernambuco · BR

Funding

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior Finance Code 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleStream of thought describes the nature of the mind when it is freely roaming, a mental state that is continuous and highly dynamic as in mind-wandering or free association. Classic serotonergic psychedelics are known to profoundly impact perception, cognition and language, yet their influence on the stream of thought remains largely unexplored.

objectiveTo elucidate the effects of LSD on the stream of thought.

methodsIn a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, 24 healthy participants received 50 μg lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or inactive placebo. Mind-wandering was measured by the Amsterdam Resting State Questionnaire (ARSQ), free association by the Forward Flow Task (FFT) for three seed word types (animals, objects, abstract words). ARSQ and FFT were assessed at +0 h, +2 h, +4 h, +6 h, +8 h and +24 h after drug administration, respectively.

resultsLSD, compared to placebo, induced different facets of mind-wandering we conceptualized as "chaos" (Discontinuity of Mind, decreased Sleepiness, Planning, Thoughts under Control, Thoughts about Work and Thoughts about Past), "meaning" (Deep Thoughts, Not Sharing Thoughts) and "sensation" (Thoughts about Odours, Thoughts about Sounds). LSD increased the FFT for abstract words reflecting an "abstract flow" under free association. Overall, chaos was strongest pronounced (+2 h to +6 h), followed by meaning (+2 h to +4 h), sensation (+2 h) and abstract flow (+4 h).

conclusionsLSD affects the stream of thought within several levels (active, passive), facets (chaos, meaning, sensation, abstractness) and time points (from +2 h to +6 h). Increased chaos, meaning and abstract flow at +4 h indicate the utility of a late therapeutic window in psycholytic therapy.

Indexed as

HallucinogensLysergic Acid DiethylamideCognitionCross-Over StudiesHealthy VolunteersHumansHallucinogensLysergic Acid DiethylamideAbstract thinkingForward flowFree associationLSDMind-wanderingResting state cognitionSemantic analysisStream of thought

Identifiers

PMID34708255
OpenAlexW3208674003

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.