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Ayahuasca in adolescence: a neuropsychological assessment.

Evelyn Doering-Silveira, Enrique Lopez, Charles S. Grob, Marlene Dobkin De Rios, Luisa K Alonso, Cristiane Tacla, Itiro Shirakawa, Paulo H Bertolucci, Dartiu X Da Silveira

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs June 1, 2005 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2005.10399791 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Population Adolescents who use ayahuasca in a religious context and matched controls
Intervention Ayahuasca
Topics Ayahuasca
Keywords Psychedelics Entheogens Plant medicine Hallucinogens Adolescent cognition Youth cognitive development Teenage mental function Cognitive abilities Mental flexibility Attention Memory Adolescent neuropsychology Neuropsychological assessment Cognitive testing Brain function evaluation Mental assessment Psychological testing Cognitive impact Mental effects Brain effects Cognitive function No impairment Positive outcomes Developmental impact
Citations 70
Key findings No significant difference in neuropsychological measures between adolescent ayahuasca users and matched controls.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate neuropsychologically adolescents who use ayahuasca in a religious context. A battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to adolescents who use ayahuasca. These subjects were compared to a matched control group of adolescents who did not use ayahuasca. The controls were matched with regards to sex, age, and education. The neuropsychological battery included tests of speeded attention, visual search, sequencing, psychomotor speed, verbal and visual abilities, memory, and mental flexibility. The statistical results for subjects from matched controls on neuropsychological measures were computed using independent t-tests. Overall, statistical findings suggested that there was no significant difference between the two groups on neuropsychological measures. Even though, the data overall supports that there was not a difference between ayahuasca users and matched controls on neuropsychological measures, further studies are necessary to support these findings.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder 2015 Observational study
The Psychedelic State Induced by Ayahuasca Modulates the Activity and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network Experienced subjects 2015 Observational cohort n = 10
Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil Long-term members of a syncretic church that uses hoasca as a psychoactive sacrament... 1996 Observational cohort with matched controls n = 30
Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population 2013 Observational study
Personality, Psychopathology, Life Attitudes and Neuropsychological Performance among Ritual Users of Ayahuasca: A Longitudinal Study Regular ayahuasca users and active controls in non-ayahuasca religions 2012 Observational cohort n = 242

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