Ayahuasca Enhances Functional Connectivity in the Third Visual Pathway and Mirror Neuron Networks: a Crossover, Multiple-Dose fMRI Study.
Carla Soares, Gisela Lima, Marta Teixeira, Rebeca André, Patrícia Rijo, Célia Cabral, Miguel Castelo-Branco
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience January 31, 2026 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsag004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pharmacoimaging study with randomized crossover design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Healthy participants (mean age 40 ± 6.6 years; 4 female) |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Dose | 0.5 mg/kg DMT, 0.8 mg/kg DMT |
| Duration | Single dose, one-week follow-up |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Mirror neuron system Pharmacoimaging Psychedelics Social cognition Third visual pathway |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | The highest dose of ayahuasca significantly increased right pSTS connectivity and directed modulation from visual and mirror-neuron regions, with a strong positive correlation between pSTS-supplementary motor cortex connectivity and perspective-taking experiences. |
Abstract
Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the impact of psychedelics on social perception and cognition may be instrumental to unravel their therapeutic potential. We conducted a pharmacoimaging study to examine ayahuasca's effects on a key theory of mind region, at the core of the third visual pathway (TVP) - the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), which is involved in facial emotion recognition and social perception. Twelve healthy participants (mean age: 40 ± 6.6 years; 4female) completed a crossover design with three conditions: 0.5 mg/kg DMT, 0.8 mg/kg DMT, and placebo, with 1-2 months washout intervals. Resting-state fMRI was used to assess pSTS functional and effective connectivity. The highest dose significantly increased right pSTS connectivity and directed modulation from visual (primary and extrastriate cortices) and mirror-neuron regions (supplementary motor cortex; SMC). Subjectively, this enhanced social cognitive states, with a strong positive correlation between pSTS-SMC connectivity and perspective-taking experiences. Additionally, ayahuasca produced positive psychological effects, including improved perceived social relationships, at one-week follow-up despite minimal acute effects. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism of action of psychedelics at early stages of social information processing, with enhanced integration of the TVP and mirror-neuron systems. The pSTS emerged as a critical hub supported by top-down and bottom-up evidence, providing a basis for understanding ayahuasca's prosocial therapeutic effects.
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
Cites 29
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution. Current Biology April 13, 2016
and 24 more in the library