Traditional Use of Banisteriopsis caapi Alone and Its Application in a Context of Drug Addiction Therapy.
Matteo Politi, Fabio Friso, Gary Saucedo, Jaime Torres
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2021 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2020.1820641 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study with clinical data analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 359 |
| Population | Patients with substance use disorders at Takiwasi therapeutic community |
| Intervention | Purgahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Addiction |
| Keywords | Awajún medicine Banisteriopsis caapi Purgahuasca Β-carbolines |
| Citations | 18 |
| Key findings | Purgahuasca ingestion produced mareación, physical sensations, and visions in most patients, potentially aiding therapeutic awareness of addictive behaviors. |
Abstract
Takiwasi is a therapeutic community for the treatment of Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) that combines traditional Amazonian medicine (TAM) with modern psychotherapy. One of the plant medicines from TAM used in this protocol is purgahuasca. It is a decoction of the vine Banisteriopsis caapi alone, whose use is traditional among the Awajún and other ethnic groups in Peru. The research began with a field trip to Awajún territory to explore the indigenous use of purgahuasca as an initiation rite. Then, analysis of its application was conducted in the clinical context of Takiwasi. Open-ended and semi-structured interviews with Awajún informants and Takiwasi's therapeutic staff were performed and analyzed following the narrative methodological approach. Further clinical data on the ingestion of purgahuasca by Takiwasi's SUD patients were obtained from the internal repository. These indicate that 359 (92.1%) patients reported having had the so-called mareación (dizziness), 299 (76.7%) experienced physical sensations, and 208 (53.3%) had visions. These effects can be related to the psychoactivity of β-Carbolines alkaloids from B. caapi, a medicinal plant that seems to have potential benefits also for SUD, especially giving a key contribution to the patients' therapeutic process of becoming aware of the personal reasons behind addictive behaviors.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ayahuasca for addiction, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey. PLOS global public health 2022
- Classic and non‐classic psychedelics for substance use disorder: A review of their historic, past and current research Addiction Neuroscience June 22, 2022
- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibition by Plant-Derived β-Carbolines; Implications for the Psychopharmacology of Tobacco and Ayahuasca Frontiers in Pharmacology May 2, 2022
- 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
- Amazonian Medicine and the Psychedelic Revival: Considering the “Dieta” Frontiers in Pharmacology May 28, 2021
and 12 more in the library
Cites 21
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry March 1, 2015
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: Tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of Ayahuasca Journal of Ethnopharmacology April 1, 1984
- Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Current Drug Abuse Reviews June 1, 2013
- Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Paradigm Shift in Psychiatric Research and Development Frontiers in Pharmacology July 5, 2018
and 16 more in the library