Week 7 Neuroscience + Art
Week 7 Neuroscience + Art
This week Professor Vesna discussed the field of neuroscience intertwining with art. In the third lecture video, one of the topics she mentioned was what it means to be conscious (Vesna), which pertained to experimenting with psychedelic drugs, not recreational, but as a form of treatment. Such an experiment sounds special because schools always educate us to stay away from drugs. However, addiction is a severe problem. Furthermore, these medications can change the wiring of your brain (Kosten and George), which can cause serious health issues.
Occasionally,
psychedelics can change lives dramatically (Smith). Many people report their
experiences while tripping as being times of deep introspection. Even for those
average individuals pondering over their own identity, this can guide them.
There is much research about adopting psychedelics to treat mental illnesses. Although this is a new, controversial field, some studies indicate that drugs such as ketamine can treat schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression (Eschner). Ketamine can also produce chemicals responsible for euphoria, but it differs from typical psychedelics such as LSD because it affects the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for memory and learning (Hill). Therefore, this topic has raised concerns regarding the risks of ketamine; those side effects may affect an individual’s decision-making skills.
Work Cited
Eschner, Kat. “The Promises and Perils of Psychedelic Health Care.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Jan. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/well/psychedelic-drugs-mental-health-therapy.html.
Hill, Richard. “Prefrontal Cortex.” The Science of Psychotherapy, Dahlitz Media Pty, 4 Apr. 2021, https://www.thescienceofpsychotherapy.com/prefrontal-cortex/#:~:text=The%20prefrontal%20cortex%20(PFC)%20is,making%2C%20and%20moderating%20social%20behaviour.
Kosten, Thomas R, and Tony P George. “The Neurobiology of Opioid Dependence: Implications for Treatment.” Science & Practice Perspectives, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1 July 2002, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851054/.
Smith, Serena. “The Life-Changing Realisations That People Had on Psychedelics.” VICE, VICE MEDIA GROUP, 4 Jan. 2022, https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dg9a5/the-life-changing-realisations-that-people-had-on-psychedelics.
Vesna, Victoria, director. Neuroscience pt3. YouTube, UC Online, 16 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0&t=1s.
Psychedelics as treatment is something I've heard of before, and have always wondered how they could be approved for use. As you pointed out, while some can have a life changing experience and see therapeutic effects the potential changes to the chemistry and wiring of the brain make it a serious risk. From my limited knowledge, the approval process goes through CDER (at least in the US) and it can take millions of dollars and up to a decade. Given how complex the nervous system is, I can't imagine how difficult it is to gather the research necessary to show a low risk to the general public. However, there can be exemptions made for high risk or 'untreatable' individuals, where the potential benefits outweigh the risks. It will be interesting to see what future psychedelic research can produce, and if it can reach the market.
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