Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
2 papers in the library · 29 citations · publishing 2021-2024
Repeated use of serotonergic psychedelics such as LSD, ayahuasca, and peyote is associated with distinct neuropsychological profiles rather than a uniform pattern of impairment. A systematic review of 13 studies (539 participants) found that LSD users performed worse on executive-functioning tasks, ayahuasca users showed better performance on the Stroop incongruent task, and peyote users showed no differences across domains. However, methodological quality varied widely, and most studies failed to fully control for confounding factors like other substance use. The evidence suggests that different psychedelics may have different long-term cognitive consequences.
A systematic review and meta-analysis examined how psychedelics and MDMA affect cognitive performance during acute drug effects and the sub-acute (afterglow) window. Acute psychedelic use impairs attention and executive function, while MDMA primarily impairs memory, leaving executive functions and attention unaffected. During the sub-acute period (at least 24 hours after acute effects subside), executive functioning and creativity may be increased following psychedelics, but no such effects were observed for MDMA. These findings can inform harm reduction recommendations for recreational use and support differential therapeutic approaches for psychedelics and MDMA.