Psychoactives
March 20, 2023
Guilherme Henrique de Morais Santos, Lucas Silva Rodrigues, Juliana Mendes Rocha et al.
6 citations
Background: Ayahuasca is a serotoninergic hallucinogen that plays a central role in the Amazonian traditional medicine. Its psychoactive effects are associated with the presence of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO-A). Advances in neuroimaging investigations have provided insight into ayahuasca’s neurobiological mechanisms of action. Methods: Selecting only...
Drug and Alcohol Review
February 1, 2023
Borja J Rodríguez-cano, Maja Kohek, Genís Ona et al.
17 citations
Ibogaine is one of the alkaloids naturally found in plants such as Tabernanthe iboga, which has been traditionally used by members of the Bwiti culture. Since the discovery of its anti-addictive properties by Howard S. Lotsof in 1962, ibogaine has been used experimentally to treat substance use disorders (SUD), especially those involving opioids. We aim to provide a detailed understanding of...
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
February 1, 2023
Giordano Novak Rossi, Jaime E. C. Hallak, Glen B. Baker et al.
14 citations
Although results are still preliminary, ketamine and classical hallucinogens have shown promise in recent years as novel, fast-acting antidepressants, especially for the treatment of unipolar treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Depression also seems to be related to abnormal levels of peripheral inflammatory and neurotrophic biomarkers, which may one day help to diagnose of this disorder. In...
Psychoactives
November 21, 2022
Rafael G. Dos Santos, Jaime E. C. Hallak
In the last two decades, an increasing trend has unfolded toward the possible beneficial uses of natural hallucinogenic substances for treating mental health disorders [...]
Biomolecules
November 2, 2022
Giordano Novak Rossi, Lorena T. L. Guerra, Glen B. Baker et al.
29 citations
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew traditionally used in indigenous and religious rituals and ceremonies in South America for its therapeutic, psychedelic, and entheogenic effects. It is usually prepared by lengthy boiling of the leaves of the bush Psychotria viridis and the mashed stalks of the vine Banisteriopsis caapi in water. The former contains the classical psychedelic...
Psychoactives
September 2, 2022
Genís Ona, Dóra Révész, Maja Kohek et al.
9 citations
The COVID-19 pandemic has made evident the need to develop effective strategies to cushion the psychological consequences of social catastrophes. Preliminary evidence suggests that the use of hallucinogens is a protective factor that mitigates against such stressors. However, the underlying mechanisms must be further explored. This study specifically focused on the potential role of coping...
Psychopharmacology
June 1, 2022
Genís Ona, Juliana Mendes Rocha, José Carlos Bouso et al.
41 citations
Ibogaine is the main alkaloid of the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga. It produces hallucinogenic and psychostimulant effects, but it is currently known for the anti-addictive properties. Despite the potential therapeutic effects, several cases of fatalities and serious adverse events related to ibogaine/noribogaine use can be found in the literature. Most studies consist in case reports or were...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
May 28, 2022
Maja Kohek, Genís Ona, Michiel van Elk et al.
25 citations
Ayahuasca is a plant decoction in traditional Amazonian medicine. Its ritual use has been internationalized, leading to policy challenges that countries should address. This study evaluates the impact of regular ayahuasca ceremony participation on health by assessing the health status of 377 participants in ayahuasca ceremonies in the Netherlands using validated health indicators. A...
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety
April 15, 2022
Giordano Novak Rossi, Jaime E. C. Hallak, José Carlos Bouso Saiz et al.
24 citations
There were no serious AEs related to psilocybin and LSD administration. Most AEs were expected, manageable, and transient. Nevertheless, safety and tolerability concerns regarding some effects, such as dissociation, paranoia, and confusion, remain. Thus, randomized controlled trials with bigger samples are warranted to confirm their therapeutic effects and further investigate their safety and...
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety
March 18, 2022
Giordano Novak Rossi, Isabella Caroline Da Silva Dias, Glen B. Baker et al.
17 citations
There were no reports of serious AEs, indicating a relative safety of ayahuasca administration in controlled settings. Most common AEs included nausea, vomiting, headaches, and transient increases in cardiovascular measurements. Ayahuasca research is still in its infancy, especially concerning the absence of large and robust clinical trials to verify its antidepressant effects. Dose...
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
February 2, 2022
Rafael G. Dos Santos, Juliana Mendes Rocha, Giordano Novak Rossi et al.
20 citations
Abstract Objective To assess endocannabinoid (anandamide, AEA; 2‐arachidonoylglycerol, 2‐AG) plasma levels in healthy volunteers and in volunteers with social anxiety disorder (SAD) after a single oral dose of ayahuasca or placebo. Methods Post hoc analysis of endocannabinoid plasma levels (baseline, 90 and 240 min after drug intake) from two parallel‐group, randomized, placebo‐controlled...
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
November 4, 2021
Tânia Cristina Libânio, R. Eufrásio, Suzy S Niigaki et al.
6 citations
The interest in psychedelic substances as potential treatments for psychiatric disorders is increasing. The β-carboline harmine, an Ayahuasca component, presents hallucinogenic and antidepressant effects. Although Ayuahuasca-and consequently harmine-is usually consumed in rituals, the role of social contexts in the behavioral effects of harmine has not been investigated yet. In this sense,...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
August 6, 2021
Juliana Mendes Rocha, Giordano Novak Rossi, Flávia de Lima Osório et al.
37 citations
Rationale: Previous studies with the serotonergic hallucinogens LSD and psilocybin showed that these drugs induced changes in personality traits, such as increases in Openness. However, results are inconsistent, and the effects of ayahuasca on personality were never investigated in a controlled trial. Objectives: To assess the effects of ayahuasca on personality in two randomized,...
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
June 23, 2021
Rafael G. Dos Santos, Flávia de Lima Osório, Juliana Mendes Rocha et al.
85 citations
Abstract Background Ayahuasca is a classic hallucinogen with anxiolytic and antidepressive properties. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that it improves performance (eg, singing, speech). This controlled trial assessed the effects of ayahuasca on speech performance and anxiety in individuals with social anxiety disorder. Methods Seventeen volunteers with social anxiety disorder participated in...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
June 16, 2021
Dóra Révész, Genís Ona, Giordano Novak Rossi et al.
42 citations
Background: One of the main public health strategies adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic consisted of implementing strict lockdowns to stop the transmission of the virus. Despite being an effective measure, the confinement and the associated social isolation create a stressful, potentially lengthy situations that has been proven to have several psychological consequences. Given...
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
April 13, 2021
Juliana Mendes Rocha, Giordano Novak Rossi, Flávia de Lima Osório et al.
46 citations
Abstract Background The recognition of emotions in facial expressions (REFE) is a core aspect of social cognition. Previous studies with the serotonergic hallucinogens lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin showed that these drugs reduced the recognition of negative (fear) faces in healthy volunteers. This trial assessed the acute and prolonged effects of a single dose of ayahuasca on the...
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
March 1, 2021
Rafael G. Dos Santos, José Carlos Bouso, Juliana Mendes Rocha et al.
58 citations
Psychedelics or serotonergic hallucinogens are a group of substances that share the agonism of serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors as their main mechanism of action. Its main effects include changes in perception, cognitive process, and mood. Despite being used for centuries by different cultures in ritual contexts, these substances have currently aroused the interest of science and industry for...
Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry
February 18, 2021
Mara C. Guimarães, Tiago M. Guimarães, Jaime E. C. Hallak et al.
41 citations
OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is related to glutamatergic dysfunction. Antagonists of glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), such as ketamine, have antidepressant properties. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is also a NMDAR antagonist. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of augmenting antidepressant treatment with N2O. METHODS: This double blind, placebo-controlled...
Psychopharmacology
February 1, 2021
Richard J. Zeifman, Nikhita Singhal, Rafael G. Dos Santos et al.
79 citations
Suicidality is a major public health concern with limited treatment options. Accordingly, there is a need for innovative interventions for suicidality. Preliminary evidence indicates that treatment with the psychedelic ayahuasca may lead to decreases in depressive symptoms among individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, there remains limited understanding of whether ayahuasca...
Advances in experimental medicine and biology
2021
José Carlos Bouso, Genís Ona, Rafael G. Dos Santos et al.
6 citations
The volume of research on the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs has been increasing during the last decades. Partly because of the need of innovative treatments in psychiatry, several studies have assessed the safety and efficacy of drugs like psilocybin or ayahuasca for a wide range of mental disorders, including major depression. The first section of this chapter will offer an introduction...
Advances in experimental medicine and biology
2021
Rafael G. Dos Santos, Jaime E. C. Hallak, José Alexandre S. Crippa
Cannabis can synthetize more than 400 compounds, including terpenes, flavonoids, and more than 100 phytocannabinoids. The main phytocannabinoids are Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis-based products are used as medicines in several countries. In this text, we present an overview of the main neurochemical mechanisms of action of the phytocannabinoids, especially THC...
Talanta
December 9, 2020
Gabriela de Oliveira Silveira, Felipe Rebello Lourenço, Ana Miguel Fonseca Pego et al.
15 citations
The present study describes the development of a novel solvent-free vortex-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction alternative based on a natural essential oil as extracting solvent (VA-EO-DLLME) for the determination of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), harmine (HRM), harmaline (HRL) and tetrahydroarmine (THH) (compounds found in the ayahuasca tea, a psychedelic plant preparation) in...
Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry
October 30, 2020
Ícaro Durante, Rafael G. Dos Santos, José Carlos Bouso et al.
49 citations
A minority of participants reported being very negatively affected by persistent adverse effects. Psychiatric medication use while participating in ayahuasca rituals was not associated with increased adverse effects. For the most part, the institution's practices seem sufficient to prevent exacerbated reactions. Future studies may focus on negatively affected users.
Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry
October 7, 2020
Rafael G. Dos Santos, Dráulio Barros de Araújo, Rafael Faria Sanches et al.
2 citations
Editorial
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
October 6, 2020
Genís Ona, Rafael G. Dos Santos, Jaime E. C. Hallak et al.
12 citations
Research with psychedelic drugs has mainly focused on isolated compounds. However, this approach is challenged by the "polypharmacology" paradigm. In this Viewpoint, we suggest that we may be missing something if we do not use the whole product in the case of ayahuasca or Psilocybe mushrooms. After describing how research on psychedelic drugs can be effectively combined with the...