Abstract
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic decoction used as a traditional medicine in several Amazonian regions. The ritualistic use of ayahuasca has spread throughout many countries, making it necessary to study its risks and benefits. Two sub-studies were designed for this investigation. In sub-study 1, a psychiatric interview and a battery of questionnaires were administered to subjects (n = 40) before their first ayahuasca use. Two follow-ups were conducted at 1 and 6 months. In sub-study 2, the same interview and battery of questionnaires were administered to long-term ayahuasca users (n = 23) and their scores were compared with those of the ayahuasca-naïve group. In the first assessment, nearly half (45%) of the naïve users were found to meet the diagnostic criteria for a psychiatric disorder. After the ayahuasca use, more than 80% of those subjects showed clinical improvements that persisted at 6 months. The questionnaires showed significant reductions in depression and psychopathology. Regarding sub-study 2, long-term users showed lower depression scores, and higher scores for self-transcendence and quality of life, as compared to their peers in sub-study 1. Further controlled and observational naturalistic studies assessing the eventual risks and potential benefits of ayahuasca are warranted.
Highlights
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic decoction used as a traditional medicine in several Amazonian regions
The hallucinogenic effects are primarily caused by the combination of the monoamine-oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibiting properties of β-carbolines and DMT, which results in the oral bioavailability of the latter[3]
Regarding the types of ceremonies that participants attended, 40% were neoshamanic, 37.5% religious, and 22.5% psychotherapeutic ceremonies
Summary
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic decoction used as a traditional medicine in several Amazonian regions. Ayahuasca has been traditionally used in several communities of the Amazonia, but in recent decades its use has spread throughout the world[4], first to urban areas of Brazil, where syncretic religions such as Santo Daime, União do Vegetal and Barquinha were established[5], and to other contexts, including several countries of the world where ayahuasca retreat centers have been developed and/or neoshamanic groups exist[6,7] Concurrent with this increased public interest in ayahuasca ceremonies, there has been major interest from the academic and biomedical fields regarding its potential health effects[8,9]. As far as β-carbolines concerned, they show potential neuroprotective effects besides their MAO-inhibiting properties[18]
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