Article
Article
Psychotomimetic drug
Article By:
D'Souza, D. Cyril Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
Perry, Edward Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Administration Medical Center, West Haven, Connecticut.
Last reviewed:May 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.555300
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A member of a class of drugs, also called psychedelic or hallucinogenic drugs, that induce transient states of altered perception resembling or mimicking the symptoms of psychosis and are characterized by profound alterations in mood. Psychotomimetic drugs (Fig. 1) produce a range of perceptual alterations and distortions. The net effect of any psychoactive drug is a complex interaction between the personality and expectations of the individual, the pharmacological effects of the drug, and the setting in which the drug is used. The term psychotomimetic was originally coined to reflect the similarities between the mind-altering effects of certain psychoactive drugs and some of the symptoms of schizophrenia. See also: Affective disorders; Brain; Perception; Psychopharmacology; Psychosis; Schizophrenia
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