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Related Experiment Videos

LSD-Like Flashbacks Associated with ECT.

Mark J. Russ1, James M. Gold

  • 1The Eating Disorders Institute, The New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center-Westchester Division, White Plains, New York, USA.

Convulsive Therapy
|January 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can trigger lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-like flashbacks in patients with a history of hallucinogen abuse. This case highlights potential neurological effects of ECT in susceptible individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment most often used for patients with severe major depression or bipolar disorder that has not responded to other treatments.
  • Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent hallucinogenic drug known to cause spontaneous, recurring, and sometimes distressing visual disturbances known as flashbacks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report and analyze a case of spontaneous lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-like flashbacks occurring after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
  • To discuss the differential diagnosis and potential origins of these LSD-like flashbacks in the context of ECT treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Case report of a patient undergoing nondominant unilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression.
  • Clinical observation and patient-reported experiences following seven ECT sessions.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Review of literature on LSD flashbacks and ECT-induced phenomena.

    • Main Results:

    • The patient experienced spontaneous LSD-like flashbacks after seven nondominant unilateral ECT treatments.
    • The reported experiences closely resembled classic descriptions of LSD flashbacks.
    • The patient had a documented history of hallucinogen abuse and prior LSD flashbacks.

    Conclusions:

    • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may precipitate LSD-like flashbacks in individuals with a prior history of hallucinogen use and flashback experiences.
    • The findings suggest a potential neurobiological link between ECT and the mechanisms underlying LSD flashbacks.
    • Further investigation is warranted to understand the etiology and implications of ECT-induced flashbacks.