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Johnson MW, Hendricks PS, Barrett FS, Griffiths RR. Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. Pharmacol Ther 2019; 197:83-102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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102
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Aday JS, Bloesch EK, Davoli CC. Beyond LSD: A Broader Psychedelic Zeitgeist during the Early to Mid-20 th Century. J Psychoactive Drugs 2019; 51:210-217. [PMID: 30836890 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2019.1581961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
During the 1950s and 1960s, there was a tremendous surge in research into the effects of psychedelic drugs. When discussing this period of research, the discovery of the psychoactive properties of LSD in 1943 is often presented as the main, and sometimes only, driving force of the boom in research. This "Great Person," or "Great Chemical," historiographical lens fails to acknowledge other factors that were fundamental in setting the stage for the research. In particular, other psychedelic drugs, such as mescaline, were already being probed for their uses in psychotherapy and as models for psychosis before the effects of LSD had been discovered. Psilocybin and other classical psychedelics had also been discovered by Western researchers around the same time as the synthesis of LSD. Additionally, many of the dominant zeitgeists (e.g., pharmacological, psychoanalytic, and humanistic) in psychology during this period were congruent with psychedelic research. This article argues that while the discovery of LSD may have been a catalyst for psychedelic research in the 1950s and '60s, there was a broader psychedelic zeitgeist that deserves acknowledgement for setting the stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S Aday
- a Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University , Mount Pleasant , MI , USA
| | - Emily K Bloesch
- a Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University , Mount Pleasant , MI , USA
| | - Christopher C Davoli
- a Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University , Mount Pleasant , MI , USA
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103
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Postránecká Z, Vejmola Č, Tylš F. Psychedelic therapy in the Czech Republic: A theoretical concept or a realistic goal? JOURNAL OF PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES 2019. [DOI: 10.1556/2054.2019.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Čestmír Vejmola
- Czech Psychedelic Society, Klecany, Czech Republic
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- 3rd Medical Faculty, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Tylš
- Czech Psychedelic Society, Klecany, Czech Republic
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- 3rd Medical Faculty, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
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104
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Palhano-Fontes F, Barreto D, Onias H, Andrade KC, Novaes MM, Pessoa JA, Mota-Rolim SA, Osório FL, Sanches R, dos Santos RG, Tófoli LF, de Oliveira Silveira G, Yonamine M, Riba J, Santos FR, Silva-Junior AA, Alchieri JC, Galvão-Coelho NL, Lobão-Soares B, Hallak JEC, Arcoverde E, Maia-de-Oliveira JP, Araújo DB. Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Psychol Med 2019; 49:655-663. [PMID: 29903051 PMCID: PMC6378413 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291718001356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 386] [Impact Index Per Article: 77.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent open-label trials show that psychedelics, such as ayahuasca, hold promise as fast-onset antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression. METHODS To test the antidepressant effects of ayahuasca, we conducted a parallel-arm, double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial in 29 patients with treatment-resistant depression. Patients received a single dose of either ayahuasca or placebo. We assessed changes in depression severity with the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating scale at baseline, and at 1 (D1), 2 (D2), and 7 (D7) days after dosing. RESULTS We observed significant antidepressant effects of ayahuasca when compared with placebo at all-time points. MADRS scores were significantly lower in the ayahuasca group compared with placebo at D1 and D2 (p = 0.04), and at D7 (p < 0.0001). Between-group effect sizes increased from D1 to D7 (D1: Cohen's d = 0.84; D2: Cohen's d = 0.84; D7: Cohen's d = 1.49). Response rates were high for both groups at D1 and D2, and significantly higher in the ayahuasca group at D7 (64% v. 27%; p = 0.04). Remission rate showed a trend toward significance at D7 (36% v. 7%, p = 0.054). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first controlled trial to test a psychedelic substance in treatment-resistant depression. Overall, this study brings new evidence supporting the safety and therapeutic value of ayahuasca, dosed within an appropriate setting, to help treat depression. This study is registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02914769).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Palhano-Fontes
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal/RN, Brazil
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
| | - Dayanna Barreto
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
- Department of Clinical Medicine, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
| | - Heloisa Onias
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal/RN, Brazil
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
| | - Katia C. Andrade
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal/RN, Brazil
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
| | - Morgana M. Novaes
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal/RN, Brazil
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
| | - Jessica A. Pessoa
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal/RN, Brazil
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
| | - Sergio A. Mota-Rolim
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal/RN, Brazil
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
| | - Flávia L. Osório
- Department of Neurosciences and Behaviour, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael Sanches
- Department of Neurosciences and Behaviour, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael G. dos Santos
- Department of Neurosciences and Behaviour, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
| | - Luís Fernando Tófoli
- Department of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Campinas, Campinas/SP, Brazil
| | | | - Mauricio Yonamine
- Department of Clinical Analysis and Toxicology, USP, São Paulo/SP, Brazil
| | - Jordi Riba
- Sant Pau Institute of Biomedical Research, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Nicole L. Galvão-Coelho
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
- Department of Physiology, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
| | - Bruno Lobão-Soares
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
| | - Jaime E. C. Hallak
- Department of Neurosciences and Behaviour, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
| | - Emerson Arcoverde
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
- Department of Clinical Medicine, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
| | - João P. Maia-de-Oliveira
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
- Department of Clinical Medicine, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil
| | - Dráulio B. Araújo
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal/RN, Brazil
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, UFRN, Natal/RN, Brazil
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105
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Mason NL, Mischler E, Uthaug MV, Kuypers KPC. Sub-Acute Effects of Psilocybin on Empathy, Creative Thinking, and Subjective Well-Being. J Psychoactive Drugs 2019; 51:123-134. [DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2019.1580804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha L. Mason
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth Mischler
- Central Customs Authority, Centre of Education and Science, Cologne, Germany
| | - Malin V. Uthaug
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Kim P. C. Kuypers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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106
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Ona G, Kohek M, Massaguer T, Gomariz A, Jiménez DF, Dos Santos RG, Hallak JEC, Alcázar-Córcoles MÁ, Bouso JC. Ayahuasca and Public Health: Health Status, Psychosocial Well-Being, Lifestyle, and Coping Strategies in a Large Sample of Ritual Ayahuasca Users. J Psychoactive Drugs 2019; 51:135-145. [DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2019.1567961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Genís Ona
- International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Services (ICEERS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Anthropology, Philosophy and Social Work, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Maja Kohek
- International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Services (ICEERS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Anthropology, Philosophy and Social Work, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Tomàs Massaguer
- International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Services (ICEERS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfred Gomariz
- International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Services (ICEERS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel F. Jiménez
- International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Services (ICEERS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael G. Dos Santos
- International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Services (ICEERS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jaime E. C. Hallak
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), CNPq, Riberão Preto (SP), Brazil
| | - Miguel Ángel Alcázar-Córcoles
- Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Carlos Bouso
- International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Services (ICEERS), Barcelona, Spain
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107
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Stenbaek DS, Kristiansen S, Burmester D, Madsen MK, Frokjaer VG, Knudsen GM, Fisher PM. Trait Openness and serotonin 2A receptors in healthy volunteers: A positron emission tomography study. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:2117-2124. [PMID: 30633430 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research found lasting increases in personality trait Openness in healthy individuals and patients after administration of the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2A R) agonist psilocybin. However, no studies have investigated whether 5-HT2A R availability as imaged using positron emission tomography (PET) is associated with this trait. In 159 healthy individuals (53 females), the association between 5-HT2A R binding in neocortex imaged with [18 F]altanserin or [11 C]Cimbi-36 PET and personality trait Openness was investigated using linear regression models. In these models the influence of sex on the association was also investigated. Trait Openness was assessed with the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised. No significant associations between neocortical 5-HT2A R binding and trait Openness were found for [18 F]altanserin (p = 0.5) or [11 C]Cimbi-36 (p = 0.8). Pooling the data in a combined model did not substantially change our results (p = 0.4). No significant interactions with sex were found (p > 0.35). Our results indicate that differences in 5-HT2A R availability are not related to variations in trait Openness in healthy individuals. Although stimulation of the 5-HT2A R with compounds such as psilocybin may contribute to long-term changes in trait Openness, there is no evidence in favor of an association between 5-HT2A R and trait Openness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dea Siggaard Stenbaek
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Neuroscience Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sara Kristiansen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Neuroscience Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel Burmester
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Neuroscience Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Korsbak Madsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Neuroscience Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vibe Gedsoe Frokjaer
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Neuroscience Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gitte Moos Knudsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Neuroscience Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Patrick MacDonald Fisher
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Neuroscience Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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108
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Mello SM, Soubhia PC, Silveira G, Corrêa-Neto NF, Lanaro R, Costa JL, Linardi A. Effect of Ritualistic Consumption of Ayahuasca on Hepatic Function in Chronic Users. J Psychoactive Drugs 2018; 51:3-11. [PMID: 30582439 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2018.1557355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a beverage obtained from decoctions of the liana Banisteriopsis caapi plus the shrub Psychotria viridis. This beverage contains a combination of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine) and N,N-dimethyltryptamine, the main substance responsible for its visionary effect. The ritualistic use of ayahuasca is becoming a global phenomenon. Most members of ayahuasca churches consume this beverage throughout their life, and many reports have discussed the therapeutic potential of this beverage. Ayahuasca is consumed orally, and the liver, as the major organ for the metabolism and detoxification of xenobiotics absorbed from the alimentary tract, may be susceptible to injury by compounds present in the ayahuasca decoction. In this study, we evaluated biochemical parameters related to hepatic damage in the serum of 22 volunteers who consumed ayahuasca twice a month or more for at least one year. There was no significant alteration in the following parameters: alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, bilirubin, creatinine, urea, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma glutamyl transferase. These findings indicate that chronic ayahuasca consumption in a religious context apparently does not affect hepatic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sueli Moreira Mello
- a Poison Control Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences , University of Campinas (UNICAMP) , Campinas , SP , Brazil
| | - Paula Christiane Soubhia
- a Poison Control Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences , University of Campinas (UNICAMP) , Campinas , SP , Brazil
| | - Gabriela Silveira
- a Poison Control Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences , University of Campinas (UNICAMP) , Campinas , SP , Brazil
| | - Nelson Francisco Corrêa-Neto
- b Department of Physiological Sciences , Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences , São Paulo , SP , Brazil
| | - Rafael Lanaro
- a Poison Control Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences , University of Campinas (UNICAMP) , Campinas , SP , Brazil
| | - José Luiz Costa
- c Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Campinas (UNICAMP) , Campinas , SP , Brazil
| | - Alessandra Linardi
- b Department of Physiological Sciences , Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences , São Paulo , SP , Brazil
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109
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Cameron LP, Olson DE. Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:2344-2357. [PMID: 30036036 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Though relatively obscure, N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is an important molecule in psychopharmacology as it is the archetype for all indole-containing serotonergic psychedelics. Its structure can be found embedded within those of better-known molecules such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin. Unlike the latter two compounds, DMT is ubiquitous, being produced by a wide variety of plant and animal species. It is one of the principal psychoactive components of ayahuasca, a tisane made from various plant sources that has been used for centuries. Furthermore, DMT is one of the few psychedelic compounds produced endogenously by mammals, and its biological function in human physiology remains a mystery. In this review, we cover the synthesis of DMT as well as its pharmacology, metabolism, adverse effects, and potential use in medicine. Finally, we discuss the history of DMT in chemical neuroscience and why this underappreciated molecule is so important to the field of psychedelic science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay P. Cameron
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Davis, 1544 Newton Ct., Davis, California 95618, United States
| | - David E. Olson
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, 2700 Stockton Blvd., Suite 2102, Sacramento, California 95817, United States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, 1544 Newton Ct., Davis, California 95618, United States
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110
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Uthaug MV, van Oorsouw K, Kuypers KPC, van Boxtel M, Broers NJ, Mason NL, Toennes SW, Riba J, Ramaekers JG. Sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on affect and cognitive thinking style and their association with ego dissolution. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:2979-2989. [PMID: 30105399 PMCID: PMC6182612 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4988-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Ayahuasca is a psychotropic plant tea from South America used for religious purposes by indigenous people of the Amazon. Increasing evidence indicates that ayahuasca may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of mental health disorders and can enhance mindfulness-related capacities. Most research so far has focused on acute and sub-acute effects of ayahuasca on mental health-related parameters and less on long-term effects. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to assess sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on well-being and cognitive thinking style. The second objective was to assess whether sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca depend on the degree of ego dissolution that was experienced after consumption of ayahuasca. RESULTS Ayahuasca ceremony attendants (N = 57) in the Netherlands and Colombia were assessed before, the day after, and 4 weeks following the ritual. Relative to baseline, ratings of depression and stress significantly decreased after the ayahuasca ceremony and these changes persisted for 4 weeks. Likewise, convergent thinking improved post-ayahuasca ceremony up until the 4 weeks follow-up. Satisfaction with life and several aspects of mindfulness increased the day after the ceremony, but these changes failed to reach significance 4 weeks after. Changes in affect, satisfaction with life, and mindfulness were significantly correlated to the level of ego dissolution experienced during the ayahuasca ceremony and were unrelated to previous experience with ayahuasca. CONCLUSION It is concluded that ayahuasca produces sub-acute and long-term improvements in affect and cognitive thinking style in non-pathological users. These data highlight the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca in the treatment of mental health disorders, such as depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- M V Uthaug
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - K van Oorsouw
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - K P C Kuypers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - M van Boxtel
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - N J Broers
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - N L Mason
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - S W Toennes
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - J Riba
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - J G Ramaekers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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111
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Lobao-Soares B, Eduardo-da-Silva P, Amarilha H, Pinheiro-da-Silva J, Silva PF, Luchiari AC. It's Tea Time: Interference of Ayahuasca Brew on Discriminative Learning in Zebrafish. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:190. [PMID: 30210319 PMCID: PMC6119691 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew traditionally used in shamanistic and vegetalistic rituals and has recently received lot of attention due to potential cognitive benefits. Ayahuasca effects are caused by the synergistic interaction of β-carbolines (harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroarmine) contained in Banisteriopsis caapi stalks combined with the N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) from Psychotria viridis leaves, a potent agonist to serotonin (5-HT) receptors. The present study approaches the effects of chronic and acute exposure to two Ayahuasca concentrations (0.1 and 0.5 ml/L) on the cognitive ability to discriminate objects in a one-trial learning task in zebrafish. Based on the combination of concentrations and exposure regimens, we divided adult zebrafish in five treatment groups: acute 0.1 and 0.5 ml/L, chronic 0.1 and 0.5 ml/L, and control 0.0 (n = 20 for each group). Then we tested them in a memory task of object discrimination. Acute Ayahuasca exposed groups performed similarly to the control group, however chronically treated fish (13 days) presented both impaired discriminative performance and locomotor alterations. Overall, these results indicate that Ayahuasca is a potent psychoactive drug that, in chronic exposure, negatively affects mnemonic parameters in zebrafish. In single exposure it does not affects cognitive performance, but the higher concentration (0.5) affected locomotion. Moreover, we reinforce the importance of the zebrafish for behavioral pharmacological studies of drug screening, in special to psychedelic drug research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Lobao-Soares
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Paulianny Eduardo-da-Silva
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Hugo Amarilha
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Priscila F. Silva
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Luchiari
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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112
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Cameron LP, Benson CJ, Dunlap LE, Olson DE. Effects of N, N-Dimethyltryptamine on Rat Behaviors Relevant to Anxiety and Depression. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:1582-1590. [PMID: 29664276 PMCID: PMC7196340 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression and anxiety disorders are debilitating diseases resulting in substantial economic costs to society. Traditional antidepressants often take weeks to months to positively affect mood and are ineffective for about 30% of the population. Alternatives, such as ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic capable of producing hallucinations, and the psychoactive tisane ayahuasca, have shown great promise due to their fast-acting nature and effectiveness in treatment-resistant populations. Here, we investigate the effects of N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), the principle hallucinogenic component of ayahuasca, in rodent behavioral assays relevant to anxiety and depression using adult, male, Sprague-Dawley rats. We find that while DMT elicits initial anxiogenic responses in several of these paradigms, its long-lasting effects tend to reduce anxiety by facilitating the extinction of cued fear memory. Furthermore, DMT reduces immobility in the forced swim test, which is a characteristic behavioral response induced by many antidepressants. Our results demonstrate that DMT produces antidepressant and anxiolytic behavioral effects in rodents, warranting further investigation of ayahuasca and classical psychedelics as treatments for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay P. Cameron
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95618, United States
| | - Charlie J. Benson
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Lee E. Dunlap
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - David E. Olson
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Sacramento, Davis, California 95817, United States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95618, United States
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113
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Jungaberle H, Thal S, Zeuch A, Rougemont-Bücking A, von Heyden M, Aicher H, Scheidegger M. Positive psychology in the investigation of psychedelics and entactogens: A critical review. Neuropharmacology 2018; 142:179-199. [PMID: 29964094 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE We reviewed the concepts and empirical findings in studies with psychedelics and entactogens related to positive psychology - the study of healthy human functioning, well-being and eudaemonia. It is an unresolved question how beneficial effects of psychedelics and entactogens are related to the potential risks of these substances - particularly in non-clinical settings. METHODS We searched in PubMed, PsychINFO and the Cochrane Library for controlled clinical and epidemiological studies which applied concepts from positive psychology. We included N = 77 eligible studies with 9876 participants published before November 1st, 2017: (1) quantitative studies (N = 54), (2) preliminary or exploratory studies and reviews not including meta-analyses (N = 17), and (3) studies evidencing primarily negative results (N = 6). RESULTS Positive psychology concepts have been applied for measuring effects of clinical trials, recreational and ceremonial use of psychedelics and entactogens. Psychedelics and entactogens were shown to produce acute and long-term effects on mood, well-being, prosocial behaviours, empathy, cognitive flexibility, creativity, personality factors like openness, value orientations, nature-relatedness, spirituality, self-transcendence and mindfulness-related capabilities. CONCLUSIONS There is preliminary evidence for beneficial effects of psychedelics and entactogens on measures of positive psychology in clinical and healthy populations, however their sustainability remains largely unresolved. The reported results must be considered preliminary due to methodological restrictions. Since longitudinal data on both positive and adverse effects of psychedelics are lacking, more rigorous and standardized measures from positive psychology should be applied in less biased populations with prospective longitudinal designs to carefully assess the benefit-risk-ratio. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Psychedelics: New Doors, Altered Perceptions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Jungaberle
- MIND European Foundation for Psychedelic Science, betahaus, Prinzessinnenstr. 19/20, 10969 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Sascha Thal
- Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Netherlands, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Andrea Zeuch
- MIND European Foundation for Psychedelic Science, betahaus, Prinzessinnenstr. 19/20, 10969 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ansgar Rougemont-Bücking
- Faculty of Science and Medicine, Department of Neurosciences and Movement Science, Laboratory for Psychiatric Neuroscience and Psychotherapy, University of Fribourg, Ch. du Musée 5, Fribourg, Switzerland.
| | - Maximilian von Heyden
- FINDER Institute for Prevention Research, Germany, betahaus, Prinzessinnenstr. 19/20, 10969 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Helena Aicher
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (DPP), University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Postfach 1931, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Milan Scheidegger
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (DPP), University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, Postfach 1931, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
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114
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Franquesa A, Sainz-Cort A, Gandy S, Soler J, Alcázar-Córcoles MÁ, Bouso JC. Psychological variables implied in the therapeutic effect of ayahuasca: A contextual approach. Psychiatry Res 2018; 264:334-339. [PMID: 29674223 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a psychedelic decoction originating from Amazonia. The ayahuasca-induced introspective experience has been shown to have potential benefits in the treatment of several pathologies, to protect mental health and to improve neuropsychological functions and creativity, and boost mindfulness. The underlying psychological processes related to the use of ayahuasca in a psychotherapeutic context are not yet well described in the scientific literature, but there is some evidence to suggest that psychological variables described in psychotherapies could be useful in explaining the therapeutic effects of the brew. In this study we explore the link between ayahuasca use and Decentering, Values and Self, comparing subjects without experience of ayahuasca (n = 41) with subjects with experience (n = 81). Results confirm that ayahuasca users scored higher than non-users in Decentering and Positive self, but not in Valued living, Life fulfillment, Self in social relations, Self in close relations and General self. Scores in Decentering were higher in the more experienced subjects (more than 15 occasions) than in those with less experience (less than 15 occasions). Our results show that psychological process variables may explain the outcomes in ayahuasca psychotherapy. The introduction of these variables is warranted in future ayahuasca therapeutic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Franquesa
- Les Corts Centre d'Higiene Mental, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alberto Sainz-Cort
- International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sam Gandy
- The College of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Aberdeen, UK
| | - Joaquim Soler
- Servei de Psiquiatria, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - José Carlos Bouso
- International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service, Barcelona, Spain.
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115
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Serotonergic psychedelics and personality: A systematic review of contemporary research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 87:118-132. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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116
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Malcolm BJ, Lee KC. Ayahuasca: An ancient sacrament for treatment of contemporary psychiatric illness? Ment Health Clin 2018; 7:39-45. [PMID: 29955496 DOI: 10.9740/mhc.2017.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a traditional psychoactive sacrament that's been used in Amazonian shamanic rituals for hundreds of years. Ayahuasca is notorious for its psychedelic properties produced from the combination of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) found in the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and N-N-dimethyltryptamine from Psychotria viridis or Diplopterys cabrerana. Recently, ritual use of ayahuasca has increased and garnered attention for its potential in treating mental illnesses, such as substance use and depressive disorders. Due to its MAOI properties, there are serious drug interactions that may be of concern among patients who participate in ayahuasca use. The objectives of this paper are to describe ayahuasca's pharmacology, potential drug interactions, and clinical data for its treatment potential in psychiatric illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Malcolm
- Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy, Pomona, California,
| | - Kelly C Lee
- Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Associate Dean for Assessment and Accreditation, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California; Residency Program Director, PGY2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency, University of California at San Diego Health, San Diego, California
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117
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Barrett FS, Schlienz NJ, Lembeck N, Waqas M, Vandrey R. "Hallucinations" Following Acute Cannabis Dosing: A Case Report and Comparison to Other Hallucinogenic Drugs. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2018; 3:85-93. [PMID: 29682608 PMCID: PMC5908416 DOI: 10.1089/can.2017.0052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Cannabis has been historically classified as a hallucinogen. However, subjective cannabis effects do not typically include hallucinogen-like effects. Empirical reports of hallucinogen-like effects produced by cannabis in controlled settings, particularly among healthy research volunteers, are rare and have mostly occurred after administration of purified Δ-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) rather than whole plant cannabis. Methods: The case of a healthy 30-year-old male who experienced auditory and visual hallucinations in a controlled laboratory study after inhaling vaporized cannabis that contained 25 mg THC (case dose) is presented. Ratings on the Hallucinogen Rating Scale (HRS) following the case dose are compared with HRS ratings obtained from the participant after other doses of cannabis and with archival HRS data from laboratory studies involving acute doses of cannabis, psilocybin, dextromethorphan (DXM), and salvinorin A. Results: Scores on the Volition subscale of the HRS were greater for the case dose than for the maximum dose administered in any other comparison study. Scores on the Intensity and Perception subscales were greater for the case dose than for the maximum dose of cannabis, psilocybin, or salvinorin A. Scores on the Somaesthesia subscale were greater for the case dose than for the maximum dose of DXM, salvinorin A, or cannabis. Scores on the Affect and Cognition subscales for the case dose were significantly lower than for the maximum doses of psilocybin and DXM. Conclusion: Acute cannabis exposure in a healthy adult male resulted in self-reported hallucinations that rated high in magnitude on several subscales of the HRS. However, the hallucinatory experience in this case was qualitatively different than that typically experienced by participants receiving classic and atypical hallucinogens, suggesting that the hallucinatory effects of cannabis may have a unique pharmacological mechanism of action. This type of adverse event needs to be considered in the clinical use of cannabis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick S Barrett
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Nicolas J Schlienz
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Natalie Lembeck
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Muhammad Waqas
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ryan Vandrey
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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118
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Galvão ACDM, de Almeida RN, Silva EADS, Freire FAM, Palhano-Fontes F, Onias H, Arcoverde E, Maia-de-Oliveira JP, de Araújo DB, Lobão-Soares B, Galvão-Coelho NL. Cortisol Modulation by Ayahuasca in Patients With Treatment Resistant Depression and Healthy Controls. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:185. [PMID: 29867608 PMCID: PMC5952178 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depression is a highly prevalent mood disorder, affecting about 350 million people, and around 30% of the patients are resistant to currently available antidepressant medications. Recent evidence from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) supports the rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of ayahuasca on plasma cortisol and awakening salivary cortisol response, in the same group of treatment-resistant patients (MD) and in healthy volunteers (C). Subjects received a single dose of ayahuasca or placebo (dosing session), and both plasma and awakening salivary cortisol response were measured at baseline (before dosing session) and 48 h after the dosing session. Baseline assessment (D0) showed blunted awakening salivary cortisol response and hypocortisolemia in patients, with respect to healthy controls. Salivary cortisol was also measured during dosing session, and we observed higher increases for both C and MD that ingested ayahuasca than placebo. After 48 h from the dosing session with ayahuasca, patients' awakening salivary cortisol response is similar to the ones detected in controls. No significant changes in plasma cortisol levels were observed 48 h after the sessions. Therefore, these findings point to new evidence on the modulation of salivary cortisol levels as a result of an ayahuasca session, both in healthy and depressive volunteers. Considering that cortisol acts in regulation of distinct physiological pathways, emotional and cognitive processes, it is assumed to be critically involved to the etiology of depression and its regulation seems to be important for the treatment and remission of major depression, ayahuasca use as antidepressant should be further investigated. Moreover, this study highlights the importance of psychedelics in the treatment of human mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C de Menezes Galvão
- Laboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Raíssa N de Almeida
- Laboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Erick A Dos Santos Silva
- Laboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Fúlvio A M Freire
- Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Palhano-Fontes
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Onofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Heloisa Onias
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Onofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Emerson Arcoverde
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - João P Maia-de-Oliveira
- Onofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine, Natal, Brazil
| | - Dráulio B de Araújo
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Onofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Bruno Lobão-Soares
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine, Natal, Brazil.,Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Nicole L Galvão-Coelho
- Laboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine, Natal, Brazil
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119
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McKenna D, Riba J. New World Tryptamine Hallucinogens and the Neuroscience of Ayahuasca. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2018; 36:283-311. [PMID: 28401525 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
New World indigenous peoples are noted for their sophisticated use of psychedelic plants in shamanic and ethnomedical practices. The use of psychedelic plant preparations among New World tribes is far more prevalent than in the Old World. Yet, although these preparations are botanically diverse, almost all are chemically similar in that their active principles are tryptamine derivatives, either DMT or related constituents. Part 1 of this paper provides an ethnopharmacological overview of the major tryptamine-containing New World hallucinogens. Part 2 focuses on ayahuasca and its effects on the human brain. Using complementary neurophysiological and neuroimaging techniques, we have identified brain areas involved in the cognitive effects induced by this complex botanical preparation. Initial SPECT data showed that ayahuasca modulated activity in higher order association areas of the brain. Increased blood perfusion was observed mainly in anterior brain regions encompassing the frontomedial and anterior cingulate cortices of the frontal lobes, and in the medial regions of the temporal lobes. On the other hand, applying spectral analysis and source location techniques to cortical electrical signals, we found changes in neuronal activity that predominated in more posterior sensory-selective areas of the brain. Now, using functional connectivity analysis of brain oscillations we have been able to reconcile these seemingly contradictory findings. By measuring transfer entropy, a metric based on information theory, we have shown that ayahuasca temporarily modifies the ordinary flow of information within the brain. We propose a model in which ayahuasca reduces top-down constraints and facilitates bottom-up information transfer. By simultaneously enhancing endogenous cortical excitability and reducing higher-order cognitive control, ayahuasca temporarily disrupts neural hierarchies allowing inner exploration and a new outlook on reality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis McKenna
- Director of Ethnopharmacology, Heffter Research Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Jordi Riba
- Human Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Sant Pau Institute of Biomedical Research (IIB-Sant Pau), C/Sant Antoni María Claret, 167, 08025, Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.
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120
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Carhart-Harris RL, Bolstridge M, Day CMJ, Rucker J, Watts R, Erritzoe DE, Kaelen M, Giribaldi B, Bloomfield M, Pilling S, Rickard JA, Forbes B, Feilding A, Taylor D, Curran HV, Nutt DJ. Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:399-408. [PMID: 29119217 PMCID: PMC5813086 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4771-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 458] [Impact Index Per Article: 76.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Recent clinical trials are reporting marked improvements in mental health outcomes with psychedelic drug-assisted psychotherapy. OBJECTIVES Here, we report on safety and efficacy outcomes for up to 6 months in an open-label trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. METHODS Twenty patients (six females) with (mostly) severe, unipolar, treatment-resistant major depression received two oral doses of psilocybin (10 and 25 mg, 7 days apart) in a supportive setting. Depressive symptoms were assessed from 1 week to 6 months post-treatment, with the self-rated QIDS-SR16 as the primary outcome measure. RESULTS Treatment was generally well tolerated. Relative to baseline, marked reductions in depressive symptoms were observed for the first 5 weeks post-treatment (Cohen's d = 2.2 at week 1 and 2.3 at week 5, both p < 0.001); nine and four patients met the criteria for response and remission at week 5. Results remained positive at 3 and 6 months (Cohen's d = 1.5 and 1.4, respectively, both p < 0.001). No patients sought conventional antidepressant treatment within 5 weeks of psilocybin. Reductions in depressive symptoms at 5 weeks were predicted by the quality of the acute psychedelic experience. CONCLUSIONS Although limited conclusions can be drawn about treatment efficacy from open-label trials, tolerability was good, effect sizes large and symptom improvements appeared rapidly after just two psilocybin treatment sessions and remained significant 6 months post-treatment in a treatment-resistant cohort. Psilocybin represents a promising paradigm for unresponsive depression that warrants further research in double-blind randomised control trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- R L Carhart-Harris
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - M Bolstridge
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - C M J Day
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - J Rucker
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - R Watts
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - D E Erritzoe
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - M Kaelen
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - B Giribaldi
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - M Bloomfield
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London and Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - S Pilling
- Clinical Psychology and Clinical Effectiveness, University College London, London, UK
| | - J A Rickard
- Barts Health Pharmaceuticals, Barts Health NHS Trust, the Royal London Hospital, London, UK
| | - B Forbes
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - A Feilding
- The Beckley Foundation, Beckley Park, Oxford, UK
| | - D Taylor
- Pharmacy and Pathology, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - H V Curran
- Clinical Psychology and Clinical Effectiveness, University College London, London, UK
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - D J Nutt
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
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121
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Berlowitz I, Ghasarian C, Walt H, Mendive F, Alvarado V, Martin-Soelch C. Conceptions and practices of an integrative treatment for substance use disorders involving Amazonian medicine: traditional healers' perspectives. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 40:200-209. [PMID: 29267602 PMCID: PMC6900766 DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2016-2117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Objective: The harmful use of psychoactive substances represents one of today’s largest public health problems. Yet, in spite of its global relevance, current treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) is still not entirely successful. The purpose of this study was to investigate alternative treatments and conceptions from traditional Amazonian medicine adapted to SUDs. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 practicing experts at a well-established addiction treatment center in the Peruvian Amazon and performed qualitative content analysis on the collected data. Main categories were deductively defined and corresponding subcategories inductively developed. Results: Our findings revealed characteristic features and consequences, causes and antecedents, and treatment methods of SUDs as the main categories. Overall, concepts of disease etiology bore resemblance with contemporary biopsychosocial models of SUDs. The Amazonian therapeutic means however differed markedly from current Western ones. The main methods involved dietary retreats, healing ceremonies, and purging rituals. The integral application of Amazonian methods, as well as their traditional implementation according to prescribed ritual protocols, were emphasized by the experts as crucial for efficacy and safety of treatment delivery. Conclusion: We suggest further scientific attention to these therapies, including clinical studies, for which our results provide conceptual underpinnings. Findings from this research expand the cross-cultural understanding of SUDs and, in the long run, may enhance its treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilana Berlowitz
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | | | - Heinrich Walt
- Department of Oral- and Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fernando Mendive
- Takiwasi Centro de Rehabilitación de Toxicómanos y de Investigación de Medicinas Tradicionales, Tarapoto, Peru
| | - Vanessa Alvarado
- School of Applied Psychology, University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, Olten, Switzerland
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122
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Well-being, problematic alcohol consumption and acute subjective drug effects in past-year ayahuasca users: a large, international, self-selecting online survey. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15201. [PMID: 29123145 PMCID: PMC5680239 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14700-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a natural psychedelic brew, which contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Its potential as a psychiatric medicine has recently been demonstrated and its non-medical use around the world appears to be growing. We aimed to investigate well-being and problematic alcohol use in ayahuasca users, and ayahuasca’s subjective effects. An online, self-selecting, global survey examining patterns of drug use was conducted in 2015 and 2016 (n = 96,901). Questions were asked about: use of ayahuasca, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and magic mushrooms; demographics, current well-being and past-year problematic alcohol use of past-year ayahuasca users and comparison drug users; and subjective effects of ayahuasca and comparison drugs. Ayahuasca users (n = 527) reported greater well-being than both classic psychedelic users (n = 18,138) and non-psychedelic drug-using respondents (n = 78,236). Ayahuasca users reported less problematic drinking than classic psychedelic users, although both groups reported greater problematic drinking than the other respondents. Ayahuasca’s acute subjective effects usually lasted for six hours and were most strongly felt one hour after consumption. Within our online, self-selecting survey, ayahuasca users reported better well-being than comparison groups and less problematic drinking than classic psychedelic users. Future longitudinal studies of international samples and randomised controlled trials are needed to dissect the effects of ayahuasca on these outcomes.
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123
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Dakic V, Minardi Nascimento J, Costa Sartore R, Maciel RDM, de Araujo DB, Ribeiro S, Martins-de-Souza D, Rehen SK. Short term changes in the proteome of human cerebral organoids induced by 5-MeO-DMT. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12863. [PMID: 28993683 PMCID: PMC5634411 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12779-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Dimethyltryptamines are entheogenic serotonin-like molecules present in traditional Amerindian medicine recently associated with cognitive gains, antidepressant effects, and changes in brain areas related to attention. Legal restrictions and the lack of adequate experimental models have limited the understanding of how such substances impact human brain metabolism. Here we used shotgun mass spectrometry to explore proteomic differences induced by 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) on human cerebral organoids. Out of the 6,728 identified proteins, 934 were found differentially expressed in 5-MeO-DMT-treated cerebral organoids. In silico analysis reinforced previously reported anti-inflammatory actions of 5-MeO-DMT and revealed modulatory effects on proteins associated with long-term potentiation, the formation of dendritic spines, including those involved in cellular protrusion formation, microtubule dynamics, and cytoskeletal reorganization. Our data offer the first insight about molecular alterations caused by 5-MeO-DMT in human cerebral organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanja Dakic
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Juliana Minardi Nascimento
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Laboratory of Neuroproteomics, Institute of Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Costa Sartore
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Sidarta Ribeiro
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Daniel Martins-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Neuroproteomics, Institute of Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Biomarcadores em Neuropsiquiatria (INBION), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Stevens K Rehen
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. .,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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124
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Carhart-Harris RL, Goodwin GM. The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Drugs: Past, Present, and Future. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:2105-2113. [PMID: 28443617 PMCID: PMC5603818 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.84] [Citation(s) in RCA: 266] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Plant-based psychedelics, such as psilocybin, have an ancient history of medicinal use. After the first English language report on LSD in 1950, psychedelics enjoyed a short-lived relationship with psychology and psychiatry. Used most notably as aids to psychotherapy for the treatment of mood disorders and alcohol dependence, drugs such as LSD showed initial therapeutic promise before prohibitive legislature in the mid-1960s effectively ended all major psychedelic research programs. Since the early 1990s, there has been a steady revival of human psychedelic research: last year saw reports on the first modern brain imaging study with LSD and three separate clinical trials of psilocybin for depressive symptoms. In this circumspective piece, RLC-H and GMG share their opinions on the promises and pitfalls of renewed psychedelic research, with a focus on the development of psilocybin as a treatment for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin L Carhart-Harris
- Psychedelic Research Group, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Guy M Goodwin
- University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
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125
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Liechti ME. Modern Clinical Research on LSD. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:2114-2127. [PMID: 28447622 PMCID: PMC5603820 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.86] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
All modern clinical studies using the classic hallucinogen lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in healthy subjects or patients in the last 25 years are reviewed herein. There were five recent studies in healthy participants and one in patients. In a controlled setting, LSD acutely induced bliss, audiovisual synesthesia, altered meaning of perceptions, derealization, depersonalization, and mystical experiences. These subjective effects of LSD were mediated by the 5-HT2A receptor. LSD increased feelings of closeness to others, openness, trust, and suggestibility. LSD impaired the recognition of sad and fearful faces, reduced left amygdala reactivity to fearful faces, and enhanced emotional empathy. LSD increased the emotional response to music and the meaning of music. LSD acutely produced deficits in sensorimotor gating, similar to observations in schizophrenia. LSD had weak autonomic stimulant effects and elevated plasma cortisol, prolactin, and oxytocin levels. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance studies showed that LSD acutely reduced the integrity of functional brain networks and increased connectivity between networks that normally are more dissociated. LSD increased functional thalamocortical connectivity and functional connectivity of the primary visual cortex with other brain areas. The latter effect was correlated with subjective hallucinations. LSD acutely induced global increases in brain entropy that were associated with greater trait openness 14 days later. In patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening disease, anxiety was reduced for 2 months after two doses of LSD. In medical settings, no complications of LSD administration were observed. These data should contribute to further investigations of the therapeutic potential of LSD in psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias E Liechti
- Psychopharmacology Research, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Psychopharmacology Research, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Psychopharmacology Research, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Abstract
Previous attempts to identify a unified theory of brain serotonin function have largely failed to achieve consensus. In this present synthesis, we integrate previous perspectives with new and older data to create a novel bipartite model centred on the view that serotonin neurotransmission enhances two distinct adaptive responses to adversity, mediated in large part by its two most prevalent and researched brain receptors: the 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. We propose that passive coping (i.e. tolerating a source of stress) is mediated by postsynaptic 5-HT1AR signalling and characterised by stress moderation. Conversely, we argue that active coping (i.e. actively addressing a source of stress) is mediated by 5-HT2AR signalling and characterised by enhanced plasticity (defined as capacity for change). We propose that 5-HT1AR-mediated stress moderation may be the brain's default response to adversity but that an improved ability to change one's situation and/or relationship to it via 5-HT2AR-mediated plasticity may also be important - and increasingly so as the level of adversity reaches a critical point. We propose that the 5-HT1AR pathway is enhanced by conventional 5-HT reuptake blocking antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), whereas the 5-HT2AR pathway is enhanced by 5-HT2AR-agonist psychedelics. This bipartite model purports to explain how different drugs (SSRIs and psychedelics) that modulate the serotonergic system in different ways, can achieve complementary adaptive and potentially therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- RL Carhart-Harris
- Psychedelic Research Group, Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - DJ Nutt
- Psychedelic Research Group, Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Correa-Netto NF, Coelho LS, Galfano GS, Nishide F, Tamura F, Shimizu MK, Santos JG, Linardi A. Chronic intermittent exposure to ayahuasca during aging does not affect memory in mice. Braz J Med Biol Res 2017; 50:e6037. [PMID: 28591380 PMCID: PMC5463533 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x20176037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Quechua term ayahuasca refers to a beverage obtained from decoctions of the liana Banisteriopsis caapi with leaves of Psychotria viridis. The ritualistic use of ayahuasca is becoming a global phenomenon, with some individuals using this beverage throughout life, including in old age. Cognitive impairment is a common manifestation during aging. There are conflicting reports on the ability of some ayahuasca compounds to exert neuroprotective or neurotoxic effects that could improve or impair learning and memory. Animal models provide a relevant and accessible means of investigating the behavioral effects of ayahuasca without the environmental conditions associated with the ritualistic use of the beverage. In this study, we investigated the influence of chronic ayahuasca exposure throughout aging on the spatial reference and habituation memories of mice. Twenty-eight male c57bl/6 mice (6 months old) received ayahuasca or water (1.5 mL/kg, orally) twice a week for 12 months and were tested in the Morris water maze (MWM), open field and elevated plus maze (EPM) tasks before and after treatment. During aging, there was significant impairment in the evocation (but not acquisition) of spatial reference memory and in habituation to the open field. There was also a decrease in locomotor activity in the open field and EPM tests, whereas the anxiety parameters were unaltered. Ayahuasca treatment did not alter any of these parameters associated with aging. These findings indicate that chronic exposure to ayahuasca during aging did not affect memory in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- N F Correa-Netto
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - L S Coelho
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - G S Galfano
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - F Nishide
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - F Tamura
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - M K Shimizu
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - J G Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - A Linardi
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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Correa-Netto NF, Masukawa MY, Nishide F, Galfano GS, Tamura F, Shimizo MK, Marcato MP, Santos JG, Linardi A. An ontogenic study of the behavioral effects of chronic intermittent exposure to ayahuasca in mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 50:e6036. [PMID: 28591379 PMCID: PMC5463532 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x20176036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a beverage obtained from decoctions of the Banisteriopsis caapi plus Psychotria viridis. In religious contexts, ayahuasca is used by different age groups. However, little is known of the effects of ayahuasca during ontogenic development, particularly with regard to the functional characteristics of the central nervous system. Animal models are useful for studying the ontogenic effects of ayahuasca because they allow exclusion of the behavioral influence associated with the ritualistic use. We investigated the effects of exposure to ayahuasca (1.5 mL/kg, orally, twice a week) on memory and anxiety in C57BL/6 mice, with the post-natal day (PND) being used as the ontogenic criterion for classification: childhood (PND21 to PND35), adolescence (PND35 to PND63), adulthood (PND90-PND118), childhood-adolescence (PND21 to PND63), childhood-adulthood (PND21 to PND118) and adolescence-adulthood (PND35 to PND118). One day after the last ayahuasca exposure, the mice were subjected to the Morris water maze (MWM), open field and elevated plus maze tasks (EPM). Ayahuasca did not affect locomotion in the open field or open arms exploration in the EPM, but increased the risk assessment behavior in the childhood group. Ayahuasca did not cause any change in acquisition of spatial reference memory in the MWM task, but decreased the time spent on the platform quadrant during the test session in the adolescence group. These results suggest that, in mice, exposure to ayahuasca in childhood and adolescence promoted anxiety and memory impairment, respectively. However, these behavioral changes were not long-lasting since they were not observed in the childhood-adulthood and adolescence-adulthood groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- N F Correa-Netto
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - M Y Masukawa
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - F Nishide
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - G S Galfano
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - F Tamura
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - M K Shimizo
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - M P Marcato
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - J G Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - A Linardi
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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González D, Carvalho M, Cantillo J, Aixalá M, Farré M. Potential Use of Ayahuasca in Grief Therapy. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2017; 79:260-285. [DOI: 10.1177/0030222817710879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The death of a loved one is ultimately a universal experience. However, conventional interventions employed for people suffering with uncomplicated grief have gathered little empirical support. The present study aimed to explore the potential effects of ayahuasca on grief. We compared 30 people who had taken ayahuasca with 30 people who had attended peer-support groups, measuring level of grief and experiential avoidance. We also examined themes in participant responses to an open-ended question regarding their experiences with ayahuasca. The ayahuasca group presented a lower level of grief in the Present Feelings Scale of Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, showing benefits in some psychological and interpersonal dimensions. Qualitative responses described experiences of emotional release, biographical memories, and experiences of contact with the deceased. Additionally, some benefits were identified regarding the ayahuasca experiences. These results provide preliminary data about the potential of ayahuasca as a therapeutic tool in treatments for grief.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora González
- ICEERS—International Center for Ethnobotanical Education Research & Service, Roosendaal, The Netherlands
| | - María Carvalho
- ICEERS—International Center for Ethnobotanical Education Research & Service, Roosendaal, The Netherlands
- Centro de Estudos em Desenvolvimento Humano (CEDH), Faculdade de Educação e Psicologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Diogo Botelho, Portugal
| | - Jordi Cantillo
- ICEERS—International Center for Ethnobotanical Education Research & Service, Roosendaal, The Netherlands
| | - Marc Aixalá
- ICEERS—International Center for Ethnobotanical Education Research & Service, Roosendaal, The Netherlands
| | - Magí Farré
- Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
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131
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Johnstad PG. User perceptions of mental health consequences of hallucinogen use in self-identified spiritual contexts. NORDIC STUDIES ON ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 2017. [DOI: 10.1515/nsad-2015-0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims The article aims to gain insight into the private worlds of users of hallucinogenic drugs in spiritual contexts, with a focus on the self-perceived mental health implications of their practices. This will help us understand the rationale behind and consequences of hallucinogenic drug use. Method Respondents were recruited at several internet fora for individual email-mediated interviews (n = 5) or group interviews in public discussion threads (n = 11). They were predominantly males in their 30s or 40s with stable jobs and living conditions and extensive hallucinogen experience. Results Both positive and adverse consequences were assessed, and respondents emphasised the capacity of hallucinogenic drugs for healing and personal growth; even adverse experiences (“bad trips”) were regarded as valuable for these purposes. The dependence potential of these drugs was regarded as low because of an inherent self-regulatory mechanism whereby positive effects disappear with overuse. A minority of participants reported mental health problems that may result from their hallucinogen use, but the majority have experienced no significant adverse reactions after many years of use. This should be seen in light of the low frequency of their hallucinogen use. Conclusion The study obtained evidence of a predominantly male group of mature users taking hallucinogens in carefully prepared sessions for the purpose of personal spiritual growth, acknowledging some risks but also several benefits from this practice.
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132
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Dos Santos RG, Osório FL, Crippa JAS, Hallak JEC. Antidepressive and anxiolytic effects of ayahuasca: a systematic literature review of animal and human studies. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY 2017; 38:65-72. [PMID: 27111702 PMCID: PMC7115465 DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2015-1701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic literature review of animal and human studies reporting anxiolytic or antidepressive effects of ayahuasca or some of its isolated alkaloids (dimethyltryptamine, harmine, tetrahydroharmine, and harmaline). METHODS Papers published until 3 April 2015 were retrieved from the PubMed, LILACS and SciELO databases following a comprehensive search strategy and using a predetermined set of criteria for article selection. RESULTS Five hundred and fourteen studies were identified, of which 21 met the established criteria. Studies in animals have shown anxiolytic and antidepressive effects of ayahuasca, harmine, and harmaline, and experimental studies in humans and mental health assessments of experienced ayahuasca consumers also suggest that ayahuasca is associated with reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms. A pilot study reported rapid antidepressive effects of a single ayahuasca dose in six patients with recurrent depression. CONCLUSION Considering the need for new drugs that produce fewer adverse effects and are more effective in reducing anxiety and depression symptomatology, the described effects of ayahuasca and its alkaloids should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael G Dos Santos
- Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Flávia L Osório
- Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - José Alexandre S Crippa
- Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Jaime E C Hallak
- Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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dos Santos RG, Hallak JEC. Effects of the Naturalβ-Carboline Alkaloid Harmine, a Main Constituent of Ayahuasca, in Memory and in the Hippocampus: A Systematic Literature Review of Preclinical Studies. J Psychoactive Drugs 2016; 49:1-10. [DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2016.1260189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael G. dos Santos
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- Advisory Board, International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service, Barcelona, Spain
- National Institute of Science and Technology, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Jaime E. C. Hallak
- Professor, Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- Researcher, National Institute of Science and Technology, Translational Medicine, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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134
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Dos Santos RG, Balthazar FM, Bouso JC, Hallak JE. The current state of research on ayahuasca: A systematic review of human studies assessing psychiatric symptoms, neuropsychological functioning, and neuroimaging. J Psychopharmacol 2016; 30:1230-1247. [PMID: 27287824 DOI: 10.1177/0269881116652578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE In recent decades, the use of ayahuasca (AYA) - a β-carboline- and dimethyltryptamine-rich hallucinogenic botanical preparation traditionally used by Northwestern Amazonian tribes for ritual and therapeutic purposes - has spread from South America to Europe and the USA, raising concerns about its possible toxicity and hopes of its therapeutic potential. Thus, it is important to analyze the acute, subacute, and long-term effects of AYA to assess its safety and toxicity. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of human studies assessing AYA effects on psychiatric symptoms, neuropsychological functioning, and neuroimaging. METHODS Papers published until 16 December 2015 were included from PubMed, LILACS and SciELO databases following a comprehensive search strategy and pre-determined set of criteria for article selection. RESULTS The review included 28 full-text articles. Acute AYA administration was well tolerated, increased introspection and positive mood, altered visual perceptions, activated frontal and paralimbic regions and decreased default mode network activity. It also improved planning and inhibitory control and impaired working memory, and showed antidepressive and antiaddictive potentials. Long-term AYA use was associated with increased cortical thickness of the anterior cingulate cortex and cortical thinning of the posterior cingulate cortex, which was inversely correlated to age of onset, intensity of prior AYA use, and spirituality. Subacute and long-term AYA use was not associated with increased psychopathology or cognitive deficits, being associated with enhanced mood and cognition, increased spirituality, and reduced impulsivity. CONCLUSIONS Acute, subacute, and long-term AYA use seems to have low toxicity. Preliminary studies about potential therapeutic effects of AYA need replication due to their methodological limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael G Dos Santos
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil .,International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fermanda M Balthazar
- Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José C Bouso
- International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaime Ec Hallak
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology - Translational Medicine, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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135
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Psychological and neuropsychological assessment of regular hoasca users. Compr Psychiatry 2016; 71:95-105. [PMID: 27653781 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hoasca (also called ayahuasca) is a N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) - containing psychedelic brew originally used for magico-religious purposes by Amerindian populations of the Amazon Basin. Recently, Brazilian syncretic churches have helped spread the ritual use of hoasca to Western societies. The aim of this study was to evaluate substance use, and neuropsychological and psychological functioning of regular hoasca users within a religious setting. METHODS Assessment of socio-economic status, mood, personality traits, impulsiveness, drug use, quality of life, extrinsic and intrinsic religiosity, and neuropsychological function was performed on 30 volunteers from a U.S. branch of União do Vegetal (UDV), a Brazilian religion which uses hoasca ritually. We also assessed 27 non-hoasca-using control subjects matched by socio-demographic profile and church attendance. Mann-Whitney U, chi-squared and Fisher tests were used to analyze differences between groups. Spearman's association and simple logistic regression tests were used to analyze the impact of frequency of hoasca use on dependent variables. RESULTS Relative to the control group, the UDV group demonstrated lower scores for depression (p=0.043, r=.27) and confusion (p=0.032, r=.29) as assessed by the Profile of Mood States (POMS); higher scores on the instrument Big Five Inventory (BFI) for the personality traits agreeableness (p=0.028, r=.29) and openness (p=0.037, r=.28); higher scores on the quality life domain role limitations due to physical health as determined by the instrument Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 - SF-36 (p=0.035, r=.28); less recent use of alcohol (p<0.001, φc=.57), greater past use of alcohol to intoxication (p=0.007, φc=.36) and past use of cannabis (p=0.001, φc=.45) as measured by the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), 5th edition; better score on a measure of memory vulnerability to proactive interference as measured by the California Verbal Learning Test - CVLT (p=0.040, r=.27). Lifetime use of hoasca was positively correlated with role limitations due to physical health (p=0.032, rs=.39) and negatively associated with lifetime heavy alcohol use (p=0.034, OR=0.979). CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that religious use of hoasca does not adversely affect neuropsychological functioning and may have positive effects on substance abuse and mood.
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Apud I, Romaní O. Medicine, religion and ayahuasca in Catalonia. Considering ayahuasca networks from a medical anthropology perspective. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2016; 39:28-36. [PMID: 27768991 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive beverage from the Amazon, traditionally used by indigenous and mestizo populations in the region. Widespread international use of the beverage began in the 1990s in both secular contexts and religious/spiritual networks. This article offers an analysis of these networks as health care systems in general and for the case of Spain and specifically Catalonia, describing the emergence and characteristics of their groups, and the therapeutic itineraries of some participants. The medical anthropology perspective we take enables us to reflect on the relationship between medicine and religion, and problematize the tensions between medicalization and medical pluralism. Closely linked to the process of medicalization, we also analyze prohibitionist drug policies and their tensions and conflicts with the use of ayahuasca in ritual and 'health care' contexts. The paper ends with a reflection on the problem of ayahuasca as 'medicine', since the connection between religion and medicine is a very difficult one to separate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Apud
- Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Uruguay; National System of Researchers, National Agency of Research & Innovation (ANII), Uruguay; Department of Anthropology, Philosophy and Social Work, Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Campus Catalunya URV, Avda. Catalunya, 35, 43005 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Oriol Romaní
- Department of Anthropology, Philosophy and Social Work, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Campus Catalunya URV, Avda. Catalunya, 35, 43005 Tarragona, Spain
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137
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Ray RR, Lassiter KS. Ayahuasca Treatment Center Safety for the Western Seeker. ANTHROPOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/anoc.12060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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138
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Carbonaro TM, Gatch MB. Neuropharmacology of N,N-dimethyltryptamine. Brain Res Bull 2016; 126:74-88. [PMID: 27126737 PMCID: PMC5048497 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is an indole alkaloid widely found in plants and animals. It is best known for producing brief and intense psychedelic effects when ingested. Increasing evidence suggests that endogenous DMT plays important roles for a number of processes in the periphery and central nervous system, and may act as a neurotransmitter. This paper reviews the current literature of both the recreational use of DMT and its potential roles as an endogenous neurotransmitter. Pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of action in the periphery and central nervous system, clinical uses and adverse effects are also reviewed. DMT appears to have limited neurotoxicity and other adverse effects except for intense cardiovascular effects when administered intravenously in large doses. Because of its role in nervous system signaling, DMT may be a useful experimental tool in exploring how the brain works, and may also be a useful clinical tool for treatment of anxiety and psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa M Carbonaro
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Michael B Gatch
- Center for Neuroscience Discovery University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth, TX, United States.
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139
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Abstract
Hallucinogens fall into several different classes, as broadly defined by pharmacological mechanism of action, and chemical structure. These include psychedelics, entactogens, dissociatives, and other atypical hallucinogens. Although these classes do not share a common primary mechanism of action, they do exhibit important similarities in their ability to occasion temporary but profound alterations of consciousness, involving acute changes in somatic, perceptual, cognitive, and affective processes. Such effects likely contribute to their recreational use. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that these drugs may have therapeutic applications beyond their potential for abuse. This review will present data on several classes of hallucinogens with a particular focus on psychedelics, entactogens, and dissociatives, for which clinical utility has been most extensively documented. Information on each class is presented in turn, tracing relevant historical insights, highlighting similarities and differences between the classes from the molecular to the behavioral level, and presenting the most up-to-date information on clinically oriented research with these substances, with important ramifications for their potential therapeutic value. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Garcia-Romeu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Brennan Kersgaard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Peter H. Addy
- Department of Medical Informatics, Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, CT
- Department of Medical Informatics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
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140
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Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. Lancet Psychiatry 2016; 3:619-27. [PMID: 27210031 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(16)30065-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 787] [Impact Index Per Article: 98.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psilocybin is a serotonin receptor agonist that occurs naturally in some mushroom species. Recent studies have assessed the therapeutic potential of psilocybin for various conditions, including end-of-life anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and smoking and alcohol dependence, with promising preliminary results. Here, we aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of psilocybin in patients with unipolar treatment-resistant depression. METHODS In this open-label feasibility trial, 12 patients (six men, six women) with moderate-to-severe, unipolar, treatment-resistant major depression received two oral doses of psilocybin (10 mg and 25 mg, 7 days apart) in a supportive setting. There was no control group. Psychological support was provided before, during, and after each session. The primary outcome measure for feasibility was patient-reported intensity of psilocybin's effects. Patients were monitored for adverse reactions during the dosing sessions and subsequent clinic and remote follow-up. Depressive symptoms were assessed with standard assessments from 1 week to 3 months after treatment, with the 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (QIDS) serving as the primary efficacy outcome. This trial is registered with ISRCTN, number ISRCTN14426797. FINDINGS Psilocybin's acute psychedelic effects typically became detectable 30-60 min after dosing, peaked 2-3 h after dosing, and subsided to negligible levels at least 6 h after dosing. Mean self-rated intensity (on a 0-1 scale) was 0·51 (SD 0·36) for the low-dose session and 0·75 (SD 0·27) for the high-dose session. Psilocybin was well tolerated by all of the patients, and no serious or unexpected adverse events occurred. The adverse reactions we noted were transient anxiety during drug onset (all patients), transient confusion or thought disorder (nine patients), mild and transient nausea (four patients), and transient headache (four patients). Relative to baseline, depressive symptoms were markedly reduced 1 week (mean QIDS difference -11·8, 95% CI -9·15 to -14·35, p=0·002, Hedges' g=3·1) and 3 months (-9·2, 95% CI -5·69 to -12·71, p=0·003, Hedges' g=2) after high-dose treatment. Marked and sustained improvements in anxiety and anhedonia were also noted. INTERPRETATION This study provides preliminary support for the safety and efficacy of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and motivates further trials, with more rigorous designs, to better examine the therapeutic potential of this approach. FUNDING Medical Research Council.
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141
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dos Santos RG, Osório FL, Crippa JAS, Riba J, Zuardi AW, Hallak JEC. Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol 2016; 6:193-213. [PMID: 27354908 PMCID: PMC4910400 DOI: 10.1177/2045125316638008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, pharmacological treatments for mood and anxiety disorders and for drug dependence show limited efficacy, leaving a large number of patients suffering severe and persistent symptoms. Preliminary studies in animals and humans suggest that ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) may have antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive properties. Thus, we conducted a systematic review of clinical trials published from 1990 until 2015, assessing these therapeutic properties. Electronic searches were performed using the PubMed, LILACS, and SciELO databases. Only clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals were included. Of these, 151 studies were identified, of which six met the established criteria. Reviewed studies suggest beneficial effects for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety and depression associated with life-threatening diseases, and tobacco and alcohol dependence. All drugs were well tolerated. In conclusion, ayahuasca, psilocybin and LSD may be useful pharmacological tools for the treatment of drug dependence, and anxiety and mood disorders, especially in treatment-resistant patients. These drugs may also be useful pharmacological tools to understand psychiatric disorders and to develop new therapeutic agents. However, all studies reviewed had small sample sizes, and half of them were open-label, proof-of-concept studies. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies with more patients are needed to replicate these preliminary findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael G. dos Santos
- Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas, Terceiro Andar, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Flávia L. Osório
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), CNPq, Brazil
| | - José Alexandre S. Crippa
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), CNPq, Brazil
| | - Jordi Riba
- Centre d’Investigació de Medicaments, Servei de Farmacologia Clínica, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Human Experimental Neuropsy-chopharmacology, Institut de Recerca, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Farmacologia i Terapèutica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antônio W. Zuardi
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), CNPq, Brazil
| | - Jaime E. C. Hallak
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), CNPq, Brazil
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142
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Nunes AA, dos Santos RG, Osório FL, Sanches RF, Crippa JAS, Hallak JEC. Effects of Ayahuasca and its Alkaloids on Drug Dependence: A Systematic Literature Review of Quantitative Studies in Animals and Humans. J Psychoactive Drugs 2016; 48:195-205. [DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2016.1188225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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143
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Carhart-Harris RL, Kaelen M, Bolstridge M, Williams TM, Williams LT, Underwood R, Feilding A, Nutt DJ. The paradoxical psychological effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Psychol Med 2016; 46:1379-1390. [PMID: 26847689 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291715002901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent serotonergic hallucinogen or psychedelic that modulates consciousness in a marked and novel way. This study sought to examine the acute and mid-term psychological effects of LSD in a controlled study. METHOD A total of 20 healthy volunteers participated in this within-subjects study. Participants received LSD (75 µg, intravenously) on one occasion and placebo (saline, intravenously) on another, in a balanced order, with at least 2 weeks separating sessions. Acute subjective effects were measured using the Altered States of Consciousness questionnaire and the Psychotomimetic States Inventory (PSI). A measure of optimism (the Revised Life Orientation Test), the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, and the Peter's Delusions Inventory were issued at baseline and 2 weeks after each session. RESULTS LSD produced robust psychological effects; including heightened mood but also high scores on the PSI, an index of psychosis-like symptoms. Increased optimism and trait openness were observed 2 weeks after LSD (and not placebo) and there were no changes in delusional thinking. CONCLUSIONS The present findings reinforce the view that psychedelics elicit psychosis-like symptoms acutely yet improve psychological wellbeing in the mid to long term. It is proposed that acute alterations in mood are secondary to a more fundamental modulation in the quality of cognition, and that increased cognitive flexibility subsequent to serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) stimulation promotes emotional lability during intoxication and leaves a residue of 'loosened cognition' in the mid to long term that is conducive to improved psychological wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- R L Carhart-Harris
- Imperial College London,Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology,Division of Brain Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,London,UK
| | - M Kaelen
- Imperial College London,Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology,Division of Brain Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,London,UK
| | - M Bolstridge
- Imperial College London,Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology,Division of Brain Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,London,UK
| | - T M Williams
- Department of Psychiatry,The University of Bristol,Bristol,UK
| | - L T Williams
- Imperial College London,Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology,Division of Brain Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,London,UK
| | - R Underwood
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience,Department of Psychology,King's College London,London,UK
| | - A Feilding
- The Beckley Foundation,Beckley Park,Oxford,UK
| | - D J Nutt
- Imperial College London,Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology,Division of Brain Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,London,UK
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144
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Abstract
Psychedelics (serotonergic hallucinogens) are powerful psychoactive substances that alter perception and mood and affect numerous cognitive processes. They are generally considered physiologically safe and do not lead to dependence or addiction. Their origin predates written history, and they were employed by early cultures in many sociocultural and ritual contexts. After the virtually contemporaneous discovery of (5R,8R)-(+)-lysergic acid-N,N-diethylamide (LSD)-25 and the identification of serotonin in the brain, early research focused intensively on the possibility that LSD and other psychedelics had a serotonergic basis for their action. Today there is a consensus that psychedelics are agonists or partial agonists at brain serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptors, with particular importance on those expressed on apical dendrites of neocortical pyramidal cells in layer V. Several useful rodent models have been developed over the years to help unravel the neurochemical correlates of serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor activation in the brain, and a variety of imaging techniques have been employed to identify key brain areas that are directly affected by psychedelics. Recent and exciting developments in the field have occurred in clinical research, where several double-blind placebo-controlled phase 2 studies of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in patients with cancer-related psychosocial distress have demonstrated unprecedented positive relief of anxiety and depression. Two small pilot studies of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy also have shown positive benefit in treating both alcohol and nicotine addiction. Recently, blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging and magnetoencephalography have been employed for in vivo brain imaging in humans after administration of a psychedelic, and results indicate that intravenously administered psilocybin and LSD produce decreases in oscillatory power in areas of the brain's default mode network.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Nichols
- Eschelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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145
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Frecska E, Bokor P, Winkelman M. The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization. Front Pharmacol 2016; 7:35. [PMID: 26973523 PMCID: PMC4773875 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychoactive brew of two main components. Its active agents are β-carboline and tryptamine derivatives. As a sacrament, ayahuasca is still a central element of many healing ceremonies in the Amazon Basin and its ritual consumption has become common among the mestizo populations of South America. Ayahuasca use amongst the indigenous people of the Amazon is a form of traditional medicine and cultural psychiatry. During the last two decades, the substance has become increasingly known among both scientists and laymen, and currently its use is spreading all over in the Western world. In the present paper we describe the chief characteristics of ayahuasca, discuss important questions raised about its use, and provide an overview of the scientific research supporting its potential therapeutic benefits. A growing number of studies indicate that the psychotherapeutic potential of ayahuasca is based mostly on the strong serotonergic effects, whereas the sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) agonist effect of its active ingredient dimethyltryptamine raises the possibility that the ethnomedical observations on the diversity of treated conditions can be scientifically verified. Moreover, in the right therapeutic or ritual setting with proper preparation and mindset of the user, followed by subsequent integration of the experience, ayahuasca has proven effective in the treatment of substance dependence. This article has two important take-home messages: (1) the therapeutic effects of ayahuasca are best understood from a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual model, and (2) on the biological level ayahuasca may act against chronic low grade inflammation and oxidative stress via the Sig-1R which can explain its widespread therapeutic indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ede Frecska
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Petra Bokor
- Doctoral School of Psychology, University of Pécs Pécs, Hungary
| | - Michael Winkelman
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ, USA
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146
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Exploring the therapeutic potential of Ayahuasca: acute intake increases mindfulness-related capacities. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:823-9. [PMID: 26612618 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4162-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ayahuasca is a psychotropic plant tea used for ritual purposes by the indigenous populations of the Amazon. In the last two decades, its use has expanded worldwide. The tea contains the psychedelic 5-HT2A receptor agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), plus β-carboline alkaloids with monoamine-oxidase-inhibiting properties. Acute administration induces an introspective dream-like experience characterized by visions and autobiographic and emotional memories. Studies of long-term users have suggested its therapeutic potential, reporting that its use has helped individuals abandon the consumption of addictive drugs. Furthermore, recent open-label studies in patients with treatment-resistant depression found that a single ayahuasca dose induced a rapid antidepressant effect that was maintained weeks after administration. Here, we conducted an exploratory study of the psychological mechanisms that could underlie the beneficial effects of ayahuasca. METHODS We assessed a group of 25 individuals before and 24 h after an ayahuasca session using two instruments designed to measure mindfulness capacities: The Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Experiences Questionnaire (EQ). RESULTS Ayahuasca intake led to significant increases in two facets of the FFMQ indicating a reduction in judgmental processing of experiences and in inner reactivity. It also led to a significant increase in decentering ability as measured by the EQ. These changes are classic goals of conventional mindfulness training, and the scores obtained are in the range of those observed after extensive mindfulness practice. CONCLUSIONS The present findings support the claim that ayahuasca has therapeutic potential and suggest that this potential is due to an increase in mindfulness capacities.
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147
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dos Santos RG, L. Osório F, S. Crippa JA, Bouso JC, Hallak JE. Letter to the Editor. J Forensic Leg Med 2016; 38:116-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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148
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Effects of Long-Term Ayahuasca Administration on Memory and Anxiety in Rats. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145840. [PMID: 26716991 PMCID: PMC4696664 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic beverage that combines the action of the 5-HT2A/2C agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) from Psychotria viridis with the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) induced by beta-carbonyls from Banisteriopsis caapi. Previous investigations have highlighted the involvement of ayahuasca with the activation of brain regions known to be involved with episodic memory, contextual associations and emotional processing after ayahuasca ingestion. Moreover long term users show better performance in neuropsychological tests when tested in off-drug condition. This study evaluated the effects of long-term administration of ayahuasca on Morris water maze (MWM), fear conditioning and elevated plus maze (EPM) performance in rats. Behavior tests started 48h after the end of treatment. Freeze-dried ayahuasca doses of 120, 240 and 480 mg/kg were used, with water as the control. Long-term administration consisted of a daily oral dose for 30 days by gavage. The behavioral data indicated that long-term ayahuasca administration did not affect the performance of animals in MWM and EPM tasks. However the dose of 120 mg/kg increased the contextual conditioned fear response for both background and foreground fear conditioning. The tone conditioned response was not affected after long-term administration. In addition, the increase in the contextual fear response was maintained during the repeated sessions several weeks after training. Taken together, these data showed that long-term ayahuasca administration in rats can interfere with the contextual association of emotional events, which is in agreement with the fact that the beverage activates brain areas related to these processes.
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149
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Kavenská V, Simonová H. Ayahuasca Tourism: Participants in Shamanic Rituals and their Personality Styles, Motivation, Benefits and Risks. J Psychoactive Drugs 2015; 47:351-9. [DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2015.1094590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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150
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Tupper KW, Wood E, Yensen R, Johnson MW. Psychedelic medicine: a re-emerging therapeutic paradigm. CMAJ 2015; 187:1054-1059. [PMID: 26350908 PMCID: PMC4592297 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.141124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth W Tupper
- School of Population and Public Health (Tupper, Wood); Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (Wood), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Johnson), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.; Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies - Canada (Yensen), Vancouver, BC; Orenda Institute (Yensen), Manson's Landing, BC
| | - Evan Wood
- School of Population and Public Health (Tupper, Wood); Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (Wood), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Johnson), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.; Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies - Canada (Yensen), Vancouver, BC; Orenda Institute (Yensen), Manson's Landing, BC
| | - Richard Yensen
- School of Population and Public Health (Tupper, Wood); Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (Wood), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Johnson), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.; Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies - Canada (Yensen), Vancouver, BC; Orenda Institute (Yensen), Manson's Landing, BC
| | - Matthew W Johnson
- School of Population and Public Health (Tupper, Wood); Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (Wood), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Johnson), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.; Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies - Canada (Yensen), Vancouver, BC; Orenda Institute (Yensen), Manson's Landing, BC
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