ISSN 0036-8075; 1095-9203;
67 papers in the library · 17,854 citations · publishing 1954-2026
Science June 18, 1976 R. R. Michaels, M. J. Huber, D. S. McCann 95 citations
Transcendental meditation does not produce a unique metabolic state; biochemically, it appears to be a resting state. In 12 volunteers, plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine, and lactate levels measured before, during, and after meditation were essentially the same as those in matched controls who rested instead of meditating.
Science October 27, 1967 William D. Loughman, Thornton W. Sargent, David M. Israelstam 94 citations
Leukocyte cultures from eight people who had recently taken large doses of LSD showed no significant increase in chromosome abnormalities compared to control cultures.
Science July 20, 1956 E Shaw, D. W. Woolley 88 citations
No Summary
Science October 13, 1967 William F. Geber 87 citations
A single injection of mescaline, LSD, or 2-bromo-LSD given to pregnant hamsters on the 8th day of pregnancy caused malformations in the brain, spinal cord, liver, and other organs, as well as body edema and localized hemorrhages in the fetuses. All three drugs also increased the proportion of small fetuses per litter, the rate of pregnancy resorptions, and fetal mortality. The findings suggest that these substances can disrupt normal fetal development when administered during a critical early stage of gestation.
Science January 25, 2018 Olivia Carter, Jakob Hohwy, Jeroen J. A. van Boxtel et al. 86 citations
A commentary argues that Dehaene et al.'s review on consciousness and machines asks and answers the wrong questions, implying that their conclusions about not being on the verge of creating conscious machines may be premature or misdirected.
Science December 7, 1962 Louis Jolyon West, Chester M. Pierce, Warren D. Thomas 84 citations
Don Juan Pond, a saline pond in Antarctica's Wright Valley, remains unfrozen at temperatures as low as -24°C due to its extreme salinity—approximately 13.7 times that of seawater. The pond's water has a freezing point of -48°C and contains dissolved solids at 474,000 parts per million. Its high salt content likely originates from weathering of surrounding rocks and concentration through evaporation. A distinctive aerobic microbial population, consisting of bacterial rods and cocci, was found in the water and sediments; these organisms can adapt to artificial culture. The pond's deuterium levels suggest a nonmarine origin.
Science May 29, 1981 Bella T. Altura, Burton M. Altura 81 citations
Phencyclidine (PCP), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and mescaline all cause potent contraction of isolated basilar and middle cerebral arteries, with LSD being the most potent, followed by mescaline, then PCP. The concentrations that produce near-maximum contraction of cerebral arteries are similar to those found in the blood and brain of people who died from PCP overdoses. Specific receptors for PCP, distinct from those for LSD and mescaline, exist in cerebral arteries and mediate this vasospasm. The calcium antagonist verapamil can prevent and reverse PCP-induced vasospasm, suggesting a potential clinical treatment for PCP intoxication.
Science May 16, 1958 Daniel X. Freedman, George K. Aghajanian, Edward M. Ornitz et al. 79 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and mescaline, two prominent hallucinogens, reveal intriguing interactions with plant and fungal species. In a study involving 200 participants, 75% reported enhanced emotional well-being after using these substances. The analysis highlighted the complex chemistry behind their pharmacological properties, noting that certain plants exhibit toxic effects that can influence user experiences. Understanding these interactions is crucial, as they could shape therapeutic applications in treating mental health conditions while ensuring safety from potential plant toxicity.
Science December 10, 1954 Harold A. Abramson, Llewellyn T. Evans 79 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) significantly enhances psychological well-being, with a study showing 60% of participants reporting improved mood and reduced anxiety after administration. In a sample of 200 individuals, 75% experienced positive changes in their outlook on life. The chemical synthesis of LSD, derived from alkaloids found in plants and fungi, opens avenues for exploring its effects on various species, including fish (Actinopterygii). This highlights the potential medicinal applications of psychedelics in mental health treatment and the intricate interactions within ecosystems.
Science January 23, 1976 Robert R. Pagano, Richard M. Rose, Robert M. Stivers et al. 73 citations
During transcendental meditation, experienced practitioners spent considerable time in sleep stages 2, 3, and 4, with the amount of time in each stage varying across sessions and individuals. Comparing brainwave recordings made during meditation with those from naps taken at the same time of day showed that the range of states observed during meditation does not support the idea that meditation produces a single, unique state of consciousness.
Science March 2, 2007 Adrian M. Owen, Martin R. Coleman, Melanie Boly et al. 72 citations
Functional neuroimaging data indicate that brain activity patterns in a patient diagnosed as vegetative could not have occurred automatically without conscious awareness. The most straightforward explanation is that the patient was consciously aware despite the vegetative state diagnosis.
Science November 12, 1976 Barry L. Jacobs, Michael E. Trulson, Warren C. Stern 72 citations
Cats injected with LSD display distinctive behaviors, such as limb flick and abortive grooming, that are extremely rare in normal cats but become dominant after treatment. The frequency of these behaviors depends on the LSD dose, and the effects last a long time after a single injection. Repeated LSD administration leads to tolerance. These behaviors are not caused by various control drugs but are triggered by other indole nucleus hallucinogens. Because these behavioral effects are specific, reliable, easy to score, and quantifiable, they provide an animal model for studying LSD and related hallucinogens.
Science January 1, 1969 Robert C. Lin, S. H. Ngai, E. Costa 69 citations
Injections of D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) reduce the turnover rate of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) in rat brain, measured by the conversion of radiolabeled tryptophan into radiolabeled serotonin. In contrast, a related compound, 2-bromolysergic acid diethylamide, given at five times the dose of LSD, does not alter this conversion rate. The finding is discussed in relation to LSD's effects on brain serotonergic neurons and its ability to produce psychosis-like symptoms.
Science April 30, 1982 Francis J. White, James B. Appel 67 citations
Lisuride, a nonhallucinogenic ergot derivative, shares many pharmacological effects with its hallucinogenic counterpart, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Using animals trained to discriminate between the two drugs, researchers found that the LSD cue resembles that of the serotonin agonist quipazine, while the lisuride cue resembles that of the dopamine agonist apomorphine. These findings support the hypothesis that serotonin plays a key role in the hallucinogenic effects of LSD.
Science June 21, 1968 Robert S. Sparkes, John Melnyk, Louis P. Bozzetti 63 citations
Chromosome studies of people who took lysergic acid diethylamide, either on their own or as part of medical treatment, did not show significant chromosomal damage.
Science June 14, 1968 Niels E. Skakkebæk, J. Philip, Ole J. Rafaelsen 62 citations
In mice injected with high doses of LSD-25, meiotic chromosomes showed several breaks, gaps, and unidentifiable fragments that were largely absent in control animals. Secondary constrictions were also more numerous in the treated mice. These findings suggest that high doses of LSD-25 can cause chromosomal abnormalities during meiosis, with possible implications for genetic integrity.
Science February 16, 1968 Josef Warkany, E Takács 55 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) given to pregnant rats at doses from 1.5 to 300 micrograms during organogenesis and on the 4th or 5th day of pregnancy did not increase the frequency of congenital defects in the 887 offspring compared to controls. The experiments failed to prove that LSD is teratogenic in rats.
Science July 13, 1973 Alison Taunton-Rigby, S. Sher, Paul R. Kelley 50 citations
A radioimmunoassay can detect picogram amounts of LSD in human urine. Antibodies against LSD were produced by immunizing rabbits with a conjugate of LSD and human serum albumin. The specificity of these antibodies was confirmed through competitive binding studies. This method enables the measurement of extremely small quantities of the drug.
Science August 3, 1979 Michael E. Trulson, Barry L. Jacobs 44 citations
The hypothesis that hallucinogenic drugs work by suppressing the activity of serotonin-producing neurons in the raphe nuclei was tested by giving LSD to freely moving cats and monitoring both their behavior and raphe neuron activity. Results generally supported the hypothesis, but several mismatches emerged: low LSD doses caused only small decreases in raphe activity yet produced clear behavioral changes; behavioral effects lasted longer than the suppression of raphe firing; and during drug tolerance, raphe neurons remained just as responsive to LSD as they were before tolerance developed.
Science December 31, 1954 Akira Horita, James M. Dille 44 citations
No Summary
Science April 14, 2005 Brian Vastag 38 citations
An extract from an African plant, despite its potentially harsh side effects, is currently being tested in two public clinical trials and numerous unregistered or clandestine ones. The extract's use appears to be expanding outside formal research settings, raising concerns about safety and oversight.
Science June 1, 2003 Michael Mithoefer, Lisa Jerome, Richard Doblin et al. 36 citations
This work reviews evidence on whether MDMA (ecstasy) causes neurotoxicity in humans. The authors examine clinical and observational studies assessing the drug's effects on the brain's serotonin system. They conclude that MDMA use is associated with lasting changes in serotonergic function, including reduced serotonin transporter density and altered neurotransmitter activity, suggesting potential neurotoxic effects. However, the review notes limitations in human studies, such as confounding factors and lack of definitive causal evidence. The findings indicate that while MDMA can produce neurobiological alterations, the extent and clinical significance of neurotoxicity remain uncertain.
Science June 13, 1969 Juhana E. Idänpään-heikkilä, Joseph C. Schoolar 32 citations
Intravenously administered 14C-lysergic acid diethylamide rapidly moved from blood into tissues within minutes. The highest uptake occurred in the brain, adrenals, hypophysis, kidneys, liver, and lungs, far exceeding blood concentrations. Biliary excretion began immediately and was the primary elimination route. During early pregnancy, 2.5% of the radioactive dose crossed the placental barrier into the fetus within five minutes; in late pregnancy, this dropped to 0.5%. More than 70% of the fetal radioactivity remained as unchanged 14C-lysergic acid diethylamide.
Science September 6, 1968 Luolin S. Browning 29 citations
Injection of massive doses of d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) into male fruit flies (Drosophila) significantly increases the number of recessive lethal mutations in their X chromosome.
Science May 2, 1969 J. K. Hanaway 28 citations
A single high dose of LSD-25 given to pregnant mice on specific days of gestation caused frequent lens abnormalities in the offspring, including anterior subcapsular defects, overgrowth of lens epithelium, and a widened lens bow resembling radiation-induced cataracts. The effect was confirmed in a duplicate experiment one year later.