INDIVIDUAL PUPILLARY REACTIONS TO CERTAIN CENTRALLY ACTING DRUGS IN MAN

¹ Laboratory of Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health

Ten normal subjects received higher and lower oral doses of LSD, chlorpromazine, meperidine, secobarbital and placebo. Pupil photographs were obtained under light and dark stimulus conditions for each of the drug conditions, yielding measures of effect on pupil size and on speeds of contraction and dilation. The data were analyzed primarily in terms of the reliability and consistency of individual pupillary reactions to these drugs.

LSD and chlorpromazine produced significant average pupillary effects, meperidine produced little effect and secobarbital, none. The degree of reliability of individual variations in response corresponded to the degree of average pupillary potency among these four drugs. A relationship was found between the effects of LSD and chlorpromazine on the speed of pupillary contraction and dilation, subjects showing relatively greater effect with LSD tending to show relatively less effect with chlorpromazine.