Dr. Franz X. Vollenweider received his MD degree at the University of Zurich. After completing his doctoral thesis in experimental Medicine with Dr. Christian Schlatter’s at the Insitute of Toxicology of the ETH Zurich and University of Zurich in 1987, he went on to train in neurochemistry at the Brain Research Institute of the University of Zurich, and in neuroimaging at the PET Center of the PSI-ETH. In 1994 he became certified in the specialities of psychiatry, psychotherapy, and psychoanalysis. He is currently a practicing psychiatrist and the director of the Psychopharmacology and Brain Imaging Unit at the University Hospital of Psychiatry (Burghölzli) and appointed lecturer (PD) in the School of Medicine, University of Zurich.
During the past ten years, Dr. Vollenweider has established a research program aiming to understand the neural basis of altered states of consciousness in health, schizophrenia, and affective disorders. In seeking to understand the neural underpinnings of consciousness, and in particular the neurotransmitter dynamics underlying altered states, the subjective, behavioural, and neurobiological effects of indoleamine hallucinogens, dissociative anesthetics and psychostimulants have been assessed in correlation with each other. The effects of these drugs on the mind-brain interaction is studied using the tools of neuropsychology, perceptual psychophysics, brain imaging methods such as positron emission tomography and high density electroencephalography, and measures of information processing including pre-pulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex and P50 gating.
Over the past few years Dr. Vollenweider’s research interests have increasingly focused on the relationship between drug induced vs. non-drug induced altered states of consciousness. In the field of visual psychophysics this has resulted in findings correlating the changes in visual perception induced by psilocybin with those seen in schizophrenia (selective deficits in high but not low motion perception), and those observed in both long-term tibetan buddhist meditators and people suffering from bi-polar disorder (a slowing of the switch rate observed in binocular rivalry). Further, current work in the lab focuses specifically on the comparative study of meditation and the effects of psilocybin, looking at measures such as high-density EEG, neurophenomenological investigation of profoundly altered self-experiences, and the altered cortical connectivity subserving synesthesia and altered perception of binocular rivalry stimulation.
His research has been continuously supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Federal Health Office (BAG), and the Heffter Research Institute, USA. His laboratory has been supported by multiple NARSAD (National Association for Research on Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders) Awards for his study of the neurobiology of sensory information processing in schizophrenia (2000, 2004) and in-vivo psilocybin receptor pharmacology (2004). He has also received the Achievement Award of the Swiss Society of Psychiatry (1990), the Heffter Research Institute Award (1997), the Götz Prize (2000) of the University of Zurich and the British Association of Psychopharmacology Prize (2002) for his research into the neurobiology of hallucinogens and the correlation with states of endogenous psychosis. His publications have appeared in peer reviewed scientific journals, including many addressing the mechanisms underlying the effects of psychostimulants, hallucinogens, and entactogens in humans. Since 1997 he has worked closely with the American founding scientists of the Heffter Research Institute and received the Heffter 1998 Award for Outstanding Clinical Research. In 1999, he was appointed a member of the Heffter Board of Directors and since that time he has been coordinating an independent Heffter Research Center in Switzerland in collaboration with the University Hospital of Psychiatry, Zürich.
Selected Publications related to hallucinogen research:
1.Vollenweider FX (1992): The use of psychotomimetics in schizophrenia research with special emphasis on the PCP/ketamine model psychosis [Die Anwendung von Psychotomimetika in der Schizophrenieforschung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Ketamin/PCP-Modell-Psychose]. SUCHT, 38:389-409
2.Feng N, Vollenweider FX, Minder EI, Rentsch K, Grampp T, Vonderschmitt DJ (1995): Development of a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for determination of ketamine in plasma and its application to human samples. Ther Drug Monit, 17:95-100
3.Hasler F, Bourquin D, Brenneisen R, Bär T, Vollenweider FX (1997): Determination of psilocin and 4-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid in plasma by HPLC-ECD and pharmacokinetic profiles of oral and intravenous psilocybin in man. Pharm Acta Helv, 72:175-184
4.Vollenweider FX, Leenders KL, Scharfetter C, Maguire P, Stadelmann O, Angst J (1997): Positron emission tomography and fluorodeoxyglucose studies of metabolic hyperfrontality and psychopathology in the psilocybin model of psychosis. Neuropsychopharmacology, 16:357-372
5.Vollenweider FX, Leenders KL, Scharfetter C, Antonini A, Maguire P, Missimer J, Angst J (1997): Metabolic hyperfrontality and psychopathology in the ketamine model of psychosis using positron emission tomography (PET) and [F-18]-fluorodeoxyglocose (FDG). Eur Neuropsychopharmacol, 7:9-24
6.Vollenweider FX, Antonini A, Leenders KL, Oye I, Hell D, Angst J (1997): Differential Psychopathology and patterns of cerebral glucose utilisation produced by (S)- and (R)-ketamine in healthy volunteers measured by FDG-PET. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol, 7:25-38
7.Ametamey S, Vollenweider FX, Patt J, Bourquin D, Hasler F, Beer HF, Schubiger PA (1998): 11C-Radiolabeling of hallucinogenic psilocin, a potential radioligand for studying the role of serotonin receptors in psychotic symptom formation. J Label Comp and Radiopharm, 41:585-594
8.Vollenweider FX, Vollenweider-Scherpenhuyzen MFI, Bäbler A, Vogel H, Hell D (1998): Psilocybin induces schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans via a serotonin-2 agonist action. NeuroReport, 9:3897-3902
9.Vollenweider FX, Antonini A, Leenders KL, Mathys K, Angst J (1998): Effects of high amphetamine doses on mood and cerebral glucose metabolism in normals using positron emission tomography (PET). Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging, 83:149-162
10.Vollenweider FX, Gamma A, Liechti ME, Huber T (1998): Psychological and cardiovascular effects and short-term sequelae of MDMA ("Ecstasy") on MDMA-naive healthy volunteers. Neuropsychopharmacology, 19:241-251
11.Vollenweider FX (1998): Advances and pathophysiological models of hallucinogen drug actions in humans: a preamble to schizophrenia research. Pharmacopsychiat, 31:92-103
12.Vollenweider FX, Vontobel P, Hell D, Leenders KL (1999): 5-HT modulation of dopamine release in basal ganglia in psilocybin-induced psychosis in man: A PET study with [11C]raclopride. Neuropsychopharmacology, 20:424-433
13.Vollenweider FX, Remensberger S, Hell D, Geyer MA (1999): Opposite effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on sensorimotor gating in rats versus healthy humans. Psychopharmacology, 143:365-372
14.Zessin J, Gucker P, Ametamey SM, Steinbach J, Brust P, Vollenweider FX, Johannsen B, Schubiger PA (1999): Efficient synthesis of enantiomerically pure thioesther precursors of [11C]McN-5652 from racemic McN-5652. J Label Comp and Radiopharm, 42:1301-1312
15.Vollenweider FX, Gamma A, Liechti ME, Huber T (1999): Is a single dose MDMA harmless? Neuropsychopharmacology, 21:598-600
16.Liechti ME, Saur M, Gamma A, Hell D, Vollenweider FX (2000): Psychological and physiological effects of MDMA ("Ecstasy") after pretreatment with the 5-HT2 antagonist ketanserin in healthy humans. Neuropsychopharmacology, 23: 396-405
17.Buck A, Gucker P, Schönbächler R, Arigoni M, Kneifel S, Vollenweider FX, Ametamey S, Burger C (2000): Evaluation of serotonergic transporters using PET and [11C](+)McN-5652: Assessement of methods. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab, 20:253-262
18.Gamma A, Frei E, Lehmann D, Pascual-Marqui RD, Hell D, Vollenweider FX (2000): Mood state and brain electric activity in ecstasy users. NeuroReport, 11:157-162
19.Liechti ME, Baumann C, Gamma A, Vollenweider FX (2000): Acute psychological effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") are attenuated by the serotonin uptake inhibitor citalopram. Neuropsychopharmacology, 22:513-521
20.Vollenweider FX, Vontobel P, Leenders KL, Hell D (2000): Effects of S-ketamine on striatal dopamine release: a [11C] raclopride PET study of a model psychosis in humans. J Psych Res, 34:35-43
21.Liechti ME, Vollenweider FX (2000): Acute psychological and physiological effects of MDMA ("Ecstasy") after haloperidol pretreatment in healthy humans. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol, 10: 289-295
22.Gamma A, Buck A, Berthold T, Vollenweider FX (2000): Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) modulates cortical and limbic brain activity as measured by (H215O)-PET in healthy humans. Neuropsychopharmacology, 23: 388-395
23.Liechti ME, Vollenweider FX (2000): The serotonin uptake inhibitor citalopram reduces acute cardiovascular and vegetative effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('Ecstasy') in healthy volunteers, J. Psychopharmacology, 14: 269-274
24.Umbricht D, Schmid L, Koller R, Vollenweider FX, Hell D, Javitt DC (2000): Ketamine-induced deficits in auditory and visual context-dependent processing in healthy volunteers, Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 57: 1139-1147.
25.Gamma A, Buck A, Berthold T, Vollenweider FX (2001): No difference in brain activation during cognitive performance between Ecstasy (MDMA) user and controls: A [H215O]-PET study. J Clin Psychopharmacol, 21:66-71
26.Liechti ME, Geyer MA, Hell D, Vollenweider FX (2001): Effects of 3,4-Methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA) on prepulse inhibition and habituation of startle in humans after pretreatment with citalopram, haloperidol, or ketanserin. Neuropsychopharmacology, 24:240-252
27.Liechti ME, Gamma A, Vollenweider FX (2001): Gender differences in the subjective effects of MDMA, Psychopharmacology, 154:161-168
29.Leumann L, Sterchi D, Vollenweider FX, Ludewig K, Früh H (2001): A real world neuronal network approch to the primary acoustic circuit and prepulse inhibition. Brain Res Bull, 56:101-10
30.Frei E, Gamma A, Pascual-Marqui RD, Lehmann D, Hell D, Vollenweider FX (2001): Localization of MDMA-induced brain activity in healthy volunteers using Low Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA). Hum Brain Mapping, 14: 152-165
31.Liechti ME, Vollenweider FX (2001) Which neuroreceptors mediate the subjective effects of MDMA in humans? A summary of mechanistic studies.Hum Psychopharmacol Clin Exp 16: 589-598
32.Schönbächler RD, Gucker PM, Arigoni M, Kneifel S, Vollenweider FX, Buck A, Burger C, Berthold T, Brühlmeier M, Schubiger PA, Ametamey SM (2002) PET imaging of dopamine transporters in the human brain using [11C]-b-CPPIT, a cocaine derivative lacking the 2b-ester function. Nuc Med and Biol 29 : 19-27
33.Umbricht D, Koller R, Vollenweider FX, Schmid L (2002) Mismatch negativity predicts psychotic experiences induced by NMDA receptor antagonist in healthy volunteers. Biol. Psychiatry 51: 400-406
34.Ludewig K, Geyer MA, Etzensberger M, Vollenweider FX (2002) Stability of the acoustic startle reflex, prepulse inhibition, and habituation in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 55: 129-137
35.Ludewig S, Ludewig K, Geyer MA, Hell D, Vollenweider FX (2002) Prepulse inhibition deficits in patients with panic disorder. Depression and Anxiety 15: 55-60
36.Hasler F, Bourquin D, Brenneisen R, Vollenweider FX (2002) Renal excretion profiles of psilocin following oral administration of psilocybin: a controlled study in man, J.Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis 30: 331-339
37.Ludewig K, Ludewig S, Seitz A,Martina Obrist M, Geyer MA, Vollenweider FX (2003) The acoustic startle reflex and its modulation: Effects of age and gender in humans. Biol Psychology 63: 311-323
38.Umbricht D, Vollenweider F X, Schmid L, Grübel.C., Skrabo A, Huber T and Koller R (2003) Effects of the 5-HT2A Agonist Psilocybin on Mismatch Negativity Generation and AX-Continuous Performance Task: Implications for the Neuropharmacology of Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology28: 170-181.
39.Hasler F, Grimberg U, Benz M, Huber T, Vollenweider FX (2004) Acute psychological and physiological effects of psilocybin in healthy humans. A double-blind placebo-controlled dose-effect study. Psychopharmacology 172: 145-156
40.Gamma A, Lehmann D, Frei E, Iwata K, Pascual-Marqui RD, Vollenweider FX (2004) Comparison of simultanously recorded [H215O]-Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Low Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA) during cognitive and pharmacological activation. Human Brain Mapping 22:83-96
41.Carter O L, Pettigrew J D, Burr D C, Alais D, Hasler F, Vollenweider F X(2004) The hallucinogenic serotonin agonist psilocybin affects high-level but not low-level motion mechanisms in humans. NeuroReport 15:1947-1951.
42.Carter OL, Pettigrew JD, Hasler F, Wallis MG, Liu GB, Hell D, Vollenweider FX (2004) Modulating the rate and rhythmicity of perceptual rivalry alternations with the mixed 5-HT2A and 5-HT1A agonist psilocybin (in press)
Submitted / in review
43.Vollenweider FX and Paulus MP (2004) MDMA affects both error-rate dependent and independent aspects of decision-making in two-choice prediction task. Psychopharmacology (in review)
B) Reviews
44.Vollenweider FX (1992): The use of psychotomimetics in schizophrenia research with special emphasis on the PCP/ketamine model psychosis [Die Anwendung von Psychotomimetika in der Schizophrenieforschung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Ketamin/PCP-Modell-Psychose]. SUCHT, 38:389-409
45.Vollenweider FX (1995): Positronen-Emissions-Tomographie (PET): Klinische Bedeutung und Perspektiven für die Psychiatrie. Nuclearmediziner, 5:309-317
46.Vollenweider FX (1997): MDMA-Forschungen am Menschen: Strategien und erste Ergebnisse. SUCHT, 35-43
47.Vollenweider-Scherpenhuyzen MFI, Vollenweider FX (1998): Der Drogennotfall. Anaesthesist, 47:946-955
48.Vollenweider-Scherpenhuyzen MFI, Vollenweider FX (1999): Notfälle bei Drogenmissbrauch. Notfall & Rettungsmedizin, 2:518-531
49.Vollenweider-Scherpenhuyzen MFI, Vollenweider FX (2000): Emergency cases in drug abuse [Notfälle bei Drogenmissbrauch]. Der Internist, 41:886-898
50.Vollenweider FX, Geyer MA, Greer G (2001): Acute psychological and neurophysiological effects of MDMA in humans. Heffter Review Psych Res 2: 53-63
51.Vollenweider FX, Geyer MA (2001): A systems model of altered consciousness: Integrating natural and drug-induced psychoses. Brain Res Bull 56: 495-507
52.Vollenweider FX (2001) Brain mechanisms of hallucinogens and entactogens. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience 3:265-279
53.Vollenweider FX, Liechti M, Gamma A, Greer G, Geyer MA (2002) Physiological and psychological effects of MDMA in humans. J.Psychoactive Drugs 34: 171-184
54.Vollenweider FX, Ludewig S (2002) Neurocognitive effects of MDMA: A summary of controlled human studies. Adiktologie 1 (Supp): 47-52
55.Vollenweider F X (2002)Neurocognitive effects and brain mechanisms of MDMA in humans. In Drogodependencias: Marco Juridico y Cuestiones Biomédicas. II Seminario International de Toxicologia y Legislación Sanitaria. Eds: Felix Gomez-Gallego and Fernando Bandrés Moya. Libero de Ponencias Y Comunicaciones, 29-33.
56.Vollenweider FX and Vollenweider-Scherpenhuyzen M F I (2003) Halluzinogene, Amphetamine Und Entactogene. Therapeutische Umschau60: 323-328.
C)Book contributions/proceedings
57.Vollenweider FX (1992): Der Einsatz von PET (Positronen-Emissions-Tomographie) zum Studium neuronaler Aktivität während veränderter Bewusstseinszustände. In Leuner H, Schlichting M (eds), Jahrbuch des Europäischen Collegiums für Bewusstseinsstudien 1992. 1 Berlin, VWB - Verlag für Wissenschaft und Bildung, pp 33-52
58.Vollenweider FX, Antonini A, Scharfetter C, Angst J, Leenders KL (1993): Zerebraler Energiemetabolismus während akut induzierter Ketamin-Modell-Psychose bei gesunden Probanden, gemessen mittels PET (Positronen-Emissions-Tomographie) und [18F]-Fluorodeoxyglukose. In Baumann P (ed), Biologische Psychiatrie der Gegenwart. 1 Wien, Springer-Verlag, pp 497-499
59.Vollenweider FX, Vollenweider MFI (1993) Halluzinogene: Eine Droge berauscht die Wissenschaft. Psychologie Heute 5: 30-36
60.Vollenweider FX (1994): Evidence for a cortical-subcortical dysbalance of sensory information processing during altered states of consciousness using PET and FDG. In Pletscher A, Ladewig D (eds), 50 Years of LSD: State of the Art and Perspectives of Hallucinogens. 1 London, Parthenon Publishing, pp 67-86
61.Vollenweider FX (1994): Kortiko-Subkortikale Dysbalance während Ketamin- und Psilocybin- induzierten Bewusstseinszuständen. In Dittrich A, Hofmann A, Leuner H (eds), Welten des Bewusstseins. Band 3: Experimentelle Psychologie, Neurobiologie und Chemie. 1 Berlin, VWB - Verlag für Wissenschaft und Bildung, pp 25-43
62.Vollenweider FX, Leenders KL, Angst J (1994): Hyperfrontalität während Ketamin- und Psilocybin-induzierten Modell-Psychosen: Eine PET-Studie mit gesunden Probanden. In Peters UH, Schifferdecker M, Krahl A (eds), 150 Jahre Psychiatrie. Eine vielgestaltige Psychiatrie für die Welt von Morgen. Köln, Martini-Verlag, pp 479-484
63.Vollenweider FX (1996): Perspektiven der Bewusstseinsforschung mit Halluzinogenen. In Liggenstorfer R, Rätsch C (eds), Maria Sabina - Botin der heiligen Pilze. Vom traditionellen Schamanentum zur weltweiten Pilzkultur. 1 Freiburg, Nachtschattenverlag, pp 203-210
64.Vollenweider FX (1998): Beziehung zwischen Hirnaktivitätsmustern (PET) und Dimensionen veränderter Bewusstseinszustände. In Verres R, Leuner H, Dittrich A (eds), Welten des Bewusstseins. MultidisziplinäreEntwürfe. 1 Berlin, Verlag für Wissenschaft und Bildung (VWB), pp 111-126
65.Vollenweider FX (1998): Neue Aspekte der PET-und SPECT-Forschung: Metabolische Korrelate psychotischer Störungen bei Schizophrenen und Modell-Psychosen. In Hinterhuber H, Fleischhacker WW (eds), Biologische Grundlagen der Schizophrenien. 1 pp 140-160
66.Vollenweider FX (1998): Recent advances and concepts in the search for biological correlates of hallucinogen-induced altered states of consciousness. The Heffter Review Psych Res, 1:21-32
67.Vollenweider FX, Gamma A, Vollenweider-Scherpenhuyzen MFI (1999): Neuronal correlates of hallucinogen-induced altered states of consciousness. In Hameroff SR, Kaszniak AW, Chalmers DJ (eds), Towards a Science of Consciousness. The Third Tucson Discussion and Debates. Cambridge, MIT Press, pp 99-109
68.Vollenweider FX, Frei E, Gamma A (2000): Lokalisation MDMA-induzierter hirnelektrischer Aktivität bei gesunden Probanden mittels Low Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomoraphy (LORETA). In Rihs-Middle M (ed), Suchtforschung des BAG. Bern, BAG, pp 6-14
69.Vollenweider FX (2000): Halluzinogene und Gehirn: Beeinflussung der Hirnaktivität durch Halluzinogene. In Georg-Friedrich-Götz Stiftung (Ed.), Festschrift aus Anlass der Verleihung des Georg-Friederich-Götz-Preises Medizinische Fakultät der Universität Zürich, 2000, pp. 51-75
70.Vollenweider FX (2001): Vom Zauberpilz zur Hirnforschung, unijournal Universität Zürich, 1:7
71.Gamma A., Liechti ME, Vollenweider FX (2001): Giving MDMA to Human Volunteers in Switzerland. In Holland, J (Ed.), Ecstasy: The complete guide. Rochester, Park Street Press, pp 327-337.
72.Gamma A, Lehmann D, Frei E, Pascual-Marqui RD, Vollenweider FX (2002): The relationship between co-recorded [H215O]-PET and EEG functional tomography (LORETA) before and during pharmacological activation, Excerpta Medica International Congress Series, 1232 (2002) 247-251.
73.Vollenweider FX, Ludewig K, Vollenweider MFI (2002) Schizophrenie – Auf der Spur eines Rätsels. Gehirn und Geist, Spektrum der Wissenschaft, 4:36-42
74.Vollenweider MFI, Vollenweider FX (2004) Halluzinogene. Suchtberung in der Apotheke. Fahrmbacher-Lutz C. (Ed), Deutscher Apotheker Verlag Stuttgard, pp 200-218
