Ayahoasca: an experimental psychosis that mirrors the transmethylation hypothesis of schizophrenia.
Alicia B Pomilio, A A Vitale, Jorge Ciprian-Ollivier, M Cetkovich-Bakmas, R Gómez, Gustavo Vazquez
Journal of Ethnopharmacology April 1, 1999 DOI: 10.1016/s0378-8741(98)00163-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy subjects |
| Intervention | Ayahoasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca DMT |
| Keywords | Amazonian beverage Traditional medicine Plant medicine Psychosis Psychotic states Mental illness Psychiatric conditions Brain chemistry Neurochemistry Biochemical pathway Enzyme activity Neurotransmitters Hallucinogens Psychoactive compounds Psychedelics |
| Citations | 34 |
| Key findings | After consuming Ayahuasca, healthy subjects' urine contained hallucinogenic compounds identical to those found in acute psychotic unmedicated patients. |
Abstract
The experimental psychosis observed after drinking Ayahoasca, a South American hallucinogenic beverage from the Amazon Indians, reproduces the pathologic transmethylation theory of schizophrenia. This theory postulates a decrease in the monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity, which results in the accumulation of methylated indolealkylamines, such as bufotenin (5-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine), N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine. These substances are strong hallucinogens as has been previously confirmed experimentally. On the other hand, it is known that Ayahoasca is a beverage usually prepared by boiling two plants, one of them rich in beta-carbolines, which are naturally occurring strong inhibitors of MAO, and the other with high quantities of DMT. This particular combination reproduces what is supposed to occur under pathologic conditions of different psychoses. The effects of Ayahoasca were studied in subjects, assessing urine levels of DMT by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) before and after the intake of the beverage. The results of this study confirm that the hallucinogenic compounds detected in the healthy subjects' (post-Hoasca, but not before) urine samples are the same as those found in samples from acute psychotic unmedicated patients. The chemical composition of the Ayahoasca beverage, and of the plant material used for its preparation are also reported as well as psychometric and neuroendocrine subject parameters.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seeing with the eyes shut: Neural basis of enhanced imagery following ayahuasca ingestion Human participants (number not stated) | 2011 | Within-subjects experimental study | |
| Ayahuasca enhances creative divergent thinking while decreasing conventional convergent thinking Participants at spiritual ayahuasca workshops | 2016 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 26 |
| Metabolism and disposition of N,N‐dimethyltryptamine and harmala alkaloids after oral administration of ayahuasca Healthy male volunteers | 2012 | Observational pharmacokinetic study | n = 10 |
| New World Tryptamine Hallucinogens and the Neuroscience of Ayahuasca. | 2018 | Review with original neuroimaging and neurophysiological data | |
| Stability Evaluation of DMT and Harmala Alkaloids in Ayahuasca Tea Samples Ayahuasca tea samples | 2020 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 16
- Neuropharmacology of N,N-dimethyltryptamine Brain Research Bulletin April 30, 2016
- Ayahuasca, dimethyltryptamine, and psychosis: a systematic review of human studies Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology February 23, 2017
- Safety and Side Effects of Ayahuasca in Humans—An Overview Focusing on Developmental Toxicology Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2013
- Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): Subjective effects and patterns of use among Australian recreational users Drug and Alcohol Dependence June 1, 2010
- Psychedelics: Alternative and Potential Therapeutic Options for Treating Mood and Anxiety Disorders Molecules April 13, 2022
and 11 more in the library
Cites 11
- Dose-Response Study of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine in Humans Archives of General Psychiatry February 1, 1994
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: Tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of Ayahuasca Journal of Ethnopharmacology April 1, 1984
- Human psychopharmacology of N,N-dimethyltryptamine Behavioural Brain Research December 1, 1995
- PSYCHOTOMIMETICS, CLINICAL AND THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS: HARMINE, WIN-2299 AND NALLINE American Journal of Psychiatry April 1, 1957
- The healing practices of a Peruvian shaman. Journal of Ethnopharmacology July 1, 1984
and 6 more in the library