Effects of LSD on the response of single units in cat visual cortex

The effects of intravenous doses (200 mug) of LSD on the activity of single neurones in the primary visual cortex have been studied in cats anaesthetized with urethane. Cells were stimulated with a bright bar of light moved over the receptive field, and orientation tuning was assessed quantitatively before and after administration of the drug. Changes in neuronal activity were compared with those observed in a control sample of cells recorded when the cats were given no drug. LSD increased the responsiveness of some cells to visual stimuli and decreased that of others, but some cells were not affected. The changes in responsiveness were dose dependent; the larger doses of the drug (expressed in mug/kg body weight) tended to depress the responses and the smaller doses to enhance them. The effects appeared earlier in complex cells than in simple cells. Changes in spontaneous activity, direction selectivity and orientational properties were found in some cells.