Shared functional connectome fingerprints following ritualistic ayahuasca intake.
Pablo Mallaroni, Natasha L. Mason, Lilian Kloft, Johannes T. Reckweg, Kim van Oorsouw, Stefan W. Toennes, Hanna M. Tolle, Enrico Amico, Johannes G. Ramaekers
Neuroimage 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120480 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subject study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 21 |
| Population | Santo Daime members |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Duration | Acute |
| Topics | Ayahuasca DMT |
| Keywords | Entheogens Brain connectivity connectome Neuroimaging FMRI Brain scanning Connectome fingerprints Individual differences Psychedelics,5-ht2a Psychedelics ayahuasca Hallucinogens Neural networks Brain patterns |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key points | Ayahuasca reduces the idiosyncrasy of functional connectomes and reallocates keypoint edges, with interindividual differences in higher-order connectivity motifs predicting perceptual drug effects. |
Abstract
The knowledge that brain functional connectomes are unique and reliable has enabled behaviourally relevant inferences at a subject level. However, whether such "fingerprints" persist under altered states of consciousness is unknown. Ayahuasca is a potent serotonergic psychedelic which produces a widespread dysregulation of functional connectivity. Used communally in religious ceremonies, its shared use may highlight relevant novel interactions between mental state and functional connectome (FC) idiosyncrasy. Using 7T fMRI, we assessed resting-state static and dynamic FCs for 21 Santo Daime members after collective ayahuasca intake in an acute, within-subject study. Here, connectome fingerprinting revealed FCs showed reduced idiosyncrasy, accompanied by a spatiotemporal reallocation of keypoint edges. Importantly, we show that interindividual differences in higher-order FC motifs are relevant to experiential phenotypes, given that they can predict perceptual drug effects. Collectively, our findings offer an example of how individualised connectivity markers can be used to trace a subject's FC across altered states of consciousness.
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 13
- Neurobiological research on N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and its potentiation by monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition: from ayahuasca to synthetic combinations of DMT and MAO inhibitors. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences September 10, 2024
- The unique neural signature of your trip: Functional connectome fingerprints of subjective psilocybin experience Network Neuroscience November 1, 2023
- Ayahuasca enhances the formation of hippocampal-dependent episodic memory without impacting false memory susceptibility in experienced ayahuasca users: An observational study. Journal of Psychopharmacology April 1, 2025
- What fMRI studies say about the nature of the psychedelic effect: a scoping review Frontiers in Neuroscience July 1, 2025
- Ayahuasca Enhances Functional Connectivity in the Third Visual Pathway and Mirror Neuron Networks: a Crossover, Multiple-Dose fMRI Study. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience January 31, 2026
and 8 more in the library
Cites 35
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- The default mode network in cognition: a topographical perspective Nature Reviews Neuroscience July 5, 2021
- Psychometric Evaluation of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV) PLoS One August 31, 2010
- Ego-Dissolution and Psychedelics: Validation of the Ego-Dissolution Inventory (EDI) Frontiers in Human Neuroscience June 14, 2016
and 30 more in the library