Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca in College Students With Harmful Alcohol Use: A Single-blind, Feasibility, Proof-of-Concept Trial.
Lucas Silva Rodrigues, José Augusto Silva Reis, Giordano Novak Rossi, Lorena T. L. Guerra, Renan Massanobu Maekawa, Flávia de Lima Osório, José Carlos Bouso, Fabiana Pereira Santos, Beatriz Aparecida Passos Bismara Paranhos, Mauricio Yonamine, Jaime Eduardo Cecilio Hallak, Rafael Guimarães Dos Santos
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0000000000001872 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-center, single-blind, feasibility, proof-of-concept study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 11 |
| Population | College students with harmful alcohol consumption |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Dose | one dose |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Ayahuasca medicine Psychedelics Addiction treatment Substance abuse Mental health research |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key points | A single dose of ayahuasca with psychological support reduced drinking days per week, but the effect was not statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons. |
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a South American plant hallucinogen rich in the psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine and β-carbolines (mainly harmine). Preclinical and observational studies suggest that ayahuasca exerts beneficial effects in substance use disorders, but these potentials were never assessed in a clinical trial. Single-center, single-blind, feasibility, proof-of-concept study, assessing the effects of one dose of ayahuasca accompanied by psychological support (without psychotherapy) on the drinking patterns (primary variable) of 11 college students with harmful alcohol consumption. Secondary variables included safety and tolerability, craving, personality, anxiety, impulsivity, self-esteem, and social cognition. Ayahuasca was well tolerated (no serious adverse reactions were observed), while producing significant psychoactive effects. Significant reductions in days per week of alcohol consumption were found between weeks 2 and 3 (2.90 ± 0.28 vs 2.09 ± 0.41; P < 0.05, uncorrected), which were not statistically significant after Bonferroni correction. There were no statistically significant effects for other variables, except for a significant reduction in reaction time in an empathy task. A significant reduction in days of alcohol consumption was observed 2-3 weeks after ayahuasca intake, but this effect did not survive after Bonferroni correction. The lack of significant effects in alcohol use and other variables may be related to the small sample size and mild/moderate alcohol use at baseline. The present study shows the feasibility of our protocol, paving the way for future larger, controlled studies.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Patients with treatment-resistant depression | 2018 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 29 |
| Human Pharmacology of Ayahuasca: Subjective and Cardiovascular Effects, Monoamine Metabolite Excretion, and Pharmacokinetics Volunteers with prior experience in the use of psychedelics | 2003 | Double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial | n = 18 |
| Subjective effects and tolerability of the South American psychoactive beverage Ayahuasca in healthy volunteers Healthy male volunteers with prior experience using ayahuasca | 2001 | Single-blind crossover placebo-controlled clinical trial | n = 6 |
| Increased frontal and paralimbic activation following ayahuasca, the pan-amazonian inebriant Male volunteers with prior experience in the use of psychedelics | 2006 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 15 |
| Human brain effects of DMT assessed via EEG-fMRI. Healthy volunteers | 2023 | Within-subjects, placebo-controlled design | n = 20 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Psychedelic Drugs in Mental Disorders: Current Clinical Scope and Deep Learning‐Based Advanced Perspectives Advanced Science March 20, 2025
- Psychedelics for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Narrative Review with Candidate Mechanisms of Action. CNS Drugs July 10, 2025
- Effects of ayahuasca on fear and anxiety: cross-talk between 5HT1A and 5HT2A receptors Psychedelics December 10, 2024
- Clinical pharmacology of ayahuasca: potential applications and future considerations Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology October 3, 2025
- A trip through the psychiatric use of psychedelics in Brazil: A scoping review Psychedelics May 30, 2026
and 2 more in the library
Cites 20
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- Measurement of dissociative states with the Clinician‐Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS) Journal of Traumatic Stress 1998
- Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy vs Placebo in the Treatment of Adult Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder JAMA Psychiatry August 24, 2022
- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Psychopharmacology March 8, 2012
and 15 more in the library