COMPARISON OF TWO DRUGS WITH PSYCHOTOMIMETIC EFFECTS (LSD AND DITRAN)

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Abstract
A comparative study of the effects of 2 psychotomimetic drugs, LSD and Ditran, was carried out in 11 nonpsychotic psychiatric patients. Continuous clinical observations were made following each drug injection, and Jarvik''s Questionnaire, the Bender-Gestalt and Draw-a-Person tests were serially administered. The antidotal effects of sodium succinate for LSD and of tetrahydroaminacrine (THA) for Ditran were also evaluated. Results indicated marded differences between the effects of LSD and Ditran. The latter produced in all subjects, a relatively stereotyped series of behavioral changes cosely resembling a "toxic-organic" reaction or delirium, and accompanied by blood pressure elevation and frequent Babinski sign and apraxia. Only 6 of 11 subjects developed a reaction to LSD meeting our criteria of psychosis and the behavioral responses were much more variable than with Ditran. Performance on drawing tests was impaired by both drugs, but impairment was much greater with Ditran. The only difference between drugs revealed by the Jarvik Questionnaire was a greater change with LSD in the perceptual sphere. Sodium succinate and THA, respectively, reversed the clinical and test changes produced by LSD and Ditran, but not completely. It was concluded that present data did not support the concept of a general factor governing individual susceptibility to psychotomimetic agents.

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