Neuropsychological effect on long-term Ayahuasca use

Tiffany D Tucker

doi:10.57709/12628841

Neuropsychological effect on long-term Ayahuasca use

Tiffany D Tucker

Counseling And Psychological Services Dissertations (Georgia State University) June 2, 2022 DOI: 10.57709/12628841 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size	25
Population	Ayahuasca users from the U.S. branch of União do Vegetal and non-ayahuasca-using controls from Albuquerque Protestant and Catholic churches
Topics	Ayahuasca
Keywords	Term time Neuropsychology Cognition
Citations	1
Key findings	No differences in default mode network connectivity or mood assessments were found between long-term ayahuasca users and non-users, indicating no lasting neuropsychological effects from chronic religious use.

Abstract

Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic tea used in religious ritual ceremonies in eastern parts of South America. Ayahuasca is becoming more popular in western countries for therapeutic use for depression, drug addiction, and emotional distress (Domínguez-Clavé et al., 2016). Previous research has explored the effects ayahuasca may have on cognition, neurological functioning, and psychopathology. Although several studies have been done on cognition and psychopathology, few studies have examined the long-term use of neurological functioning. This study focused on neuropsychological effects chronic recurrent religious users of Ayahuasca may develop, using an existing data set. This study analyzed the default mode network (DMN) comprised of the posterior cingulate cortex, angular gyrus, and the medial prefrontal cortex. To assess the DMN functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) scans were collected. This study included 12 Ayahuasca users from the U.S. branch of União do Vegetal (UDV) and 13 non-Ayahuasca-using controls from Albuquerque Protestant and Catholic churches. No differences were found between groups on connectivity in any region of interest nor in relation to mood assessments. However, the right medial prefrontal cortex and the angular gyrus revealed a positive associated with sleepiness. Possible effects can be assessed on default mode network (DMN) connectivity using a larger sample size. These findings display evidence that long-term use of Ayahuasca does not have essential lasting neuropsychological effects.

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

Citations in the library

Cited by 1

Longitudinal and transcultural assessment of the relationship between hallucinogens, well-being, and post-traumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic Scientific Reports September 11, 2023

Cites 10

and 5 more in the library