Ritualistic use of ayahuasca enhances a shared functional connectome identity with others
Pablo Mallaroni, Natasha L. Mason, Lilian Kloft, Johannes T. Reckweg, Kim van Oorsouw, Stefan W. Toennes, Hanna M. Tolle, Enrico Amico, Johannes G. Ramaekers
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) October 11, 2022 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2022.10.07.511268 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subject study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 21 |
| Population | Members of the Santo Daime church |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Duration | Acute |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Serotonin |
| Keywords | Connectome Resting State FMRI Functional connectivity Consciousness Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key points | Connectome fingerprinting revealed a shared functional space and spatiotemporal reallocation of keypoint edges, with interindividual differences in higher-order functional connectivity motifs predicting perceptual drug effects. |
Abstract
Abstract The knowledge that brain functional connectomes are both unique and reliable has enabled behaviourally relevant inferences at a subject level. However, it is unknown whether such “fingerprints” persist under altered states of consciousness. Ayahuasca is a potent serotonergic psychedelic which elicits a widespread dysregulation of functional connectivity. Used communally in religious ceremonies, its shared use may highlight relevant novel interactions between mental state and FC inherency. 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 a shared functional space, accompanied by a spatiotemporal reallocation of keypoint edges. Importantly, we show that interindividual differences in higher-order FCs motifs are relevant to experiential phenotypes, given that they can predict perceptual drug effects. Collectively, our findings offer an example as to how individualised connectivity markers can be used to trace a subject’s functional connectome 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 3
- The unique neural signature of your trip: Functional connectome fingerprints of subjective psilocybin experience Network Neuroscience November 1, 2023
- Altered State of Consciousness and Mental Imagery as a Function of N, N-dimethyltryptamine Concentration in Ritualistic Ayahuasca Users Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 2023
- Cortical structural differences following repeated ayahuasca use hold molecular signatures Frontiers in Neuroscience October 5, 2023
Cites 34
- 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 29 more in the library