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Prevalence and associations of classic psychedelic-related seizures in a population-based sample
Otto Simonsson1, Simon B Goldberg2, Richard Chambers3
1Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Sociology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Objectives:
Previous studies have reported links between classic psychedelic use and seizures, but little remains known about prevalence and potential risk factors of classic psychedelic-related seizures.
Methods:
Using a sample representative of the US adult population with regard to sex, age, and ethnicity (N = 2822), this study examined the prevalence and potential risk factors of classic psychedelic-related seizures, in a subsample of respondents who reported lifetime classic psychedelic use (n = 613).
Results:
Among those who reported lifetime classic psychedelic use, 1.5 % reported classic psychedelic-related seizures, a statistic that comports with the prevalence of epilepsy in the US population. Among those who reported seizures while using a classic psychedelic, almost half reported co-use of antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or opioid replacement therapies at the time of the seizures. Notably, classic psychedelic-related seizures were more commonly reported in certain respondents, especially those with a personal or family history of epilepsy.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that classic psychedelic use could increase the risk of seizures in certain populations, particularly those with a personal or family history of epilepsy.
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