Frontiers in psychiatry
January 1, 2022
Otto Simonsson, José Carlos Bouso, Florian Kurth et al.
6 citations
The corpus callosum, a brain structure connecting the two hemispheres, was thicker in the isthmus region among 22 ayahuasca users compared to 22 matched controls. A positive correlation was observed between callosal thickness in the rostral body and the number of past ayahuasca sessions, though neither finding survived correction for multiple comparisons. No brain region was thicker in controls than in ayahuasca users, and no region was negatively linked to ayahuasca use. This provides preliminary evidence of an association between ayahuasca use and callosal structure, but replication with larger samples and longitudinal designs is needed.
Advances in experimental medicine and biology
January 1, 2021
José Carlos Bouso, Genís Ona, Rafael G Dos Santos et al.
6 citations
Research on psychedelic drugs for therapeutic use has grown, driven by the need for innovative psychiatric treatments. Clinical trials have assessed psilocybin and ayahuasca for mental disorders including major depression. This chapter reviews the history and terminology of psychedelic research, analyzes recent clinical trials administering these drugs to patients, describes neurobiological mechanisms that may underlie therapeutic effects, and notes that psychedelics are commonly used as adjuncts to psychotherapy. The chapter concludes by suggesting future challenges for this field.
Psychoactives
November 17, 2023
Anna Beatriz Vicentini, Lucas Silva Rodrigues, Giordano Novak Rossi et al.
4 citations
In a single-blind study, university students aged 18 to 24 with harmful alcohol use received one dose of ayahuasca (1 mL/kg). Twenty-one days later, semi-structured interviews with six participants identified psychological elements linked to reduced drinking. Content analysis revealed categories including Positive Impacts, Substance Use Pattern, and Insights. Together, these categories suggest that insights and positive emotions from the experience may foster internal transformation, potentially leading to decreased alcohol consumption.
Psychoactives
December 11, 2023
Juliana Mendes Rocha, José Augusto Silva Reis, Giordano Novak Rossi et al.
3 citations
As psychedelic research expands to include more diverse participants with varied medical conditions, the risk of adverse events increases, yet specialized safety protocols for such trials are scarce. The LEAPS research group at the University of São Paulo developed standardized guidelines for managing adverse scenarios in clinical trials with ayahuasca and ibogaine. These protocols, based on the hospital's established philosophy, expert consultation, and literature review, address both psychiatric issues (panic attacks, suicidal behavior, psychotic episodes) and clinical issues (hypertensive crisis, hypoglycemia) to ensure volunteer safety.
Revista de Antropología Social
November 20, 2023
Maja Kohek, José Carlos Bouso, Genís Ona
3 citations
A woman who migrated from the Brazilian rainforest to Barcelona seventeen years ago became a healer working with ayahuasca, kambó (frog venom), and sananga (herbal eye drops). The case study examines authenticity, communitas, and self-care. Shamanism, religion, and health are fluid and dynamic processes that interact with and absorb influences from their surroundings. Exploring compatibilities between beliefs and practices from different traditions mixed with biomedical approaches broadens understanding of relationships among religion or spirituality, health, and well-being. The article concludes by proposing a contribution from medical anthropology to challenges posed by the globalization of ayahuasca practices.
Natural product research
May 1, 2023
Genís Ona, Maja Kohek, José Carlos Bouso
2 citations
The authors argue that the emerging field of psychedelic research can benefit from natural product research. They outline specific research topics involving hallucinogens that directly connect with broader natural product research.
PLOS mental health
January 1, 2025
Óscar Andión, José Carlos Bouso, Jerome J Sarris et al.
1 citation
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian decoction, is being studied for mental health benefits, but its adverse effects are not well understood. An analysis of 10,836 participants from the Global Ayahuasca Survey found that 14.2% had a prior anxiety disorder and 19.7% a depressive disorder, yet their median mental health score (SF-12) was 50.16, comparable to the general population. A history of anxiety or depression was linked to more adverse mental states after use. However, experiences like visual distortions and higher ayahuasca use correlated with better mental health. Women reported more adverse states but no worsened mental health.
International Clinical Psychopharmacology
June 27, 2024
Alberto Sainz-Cort, Marta Martín-Islas, Daniel Jiménez‐garrido et al.
1 citation
Cannabis users show deficient emotional recognition and a dampened reaction to negative stimuli, according to a study validating the Spanish version of the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET). A group of 116 participants from a Cannabis Social Club completed the MET and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) while under the effects of cannabis and were compared to 86 university students as a control group. The MET cognitive empathy scale showed low internal consistency, while the emotional empathy scale showed high internal consistency. Overall emotional empathy scores were similar between groups, but the cannabis group scored lower with negative stimuli. These results confirm deficient emotional recognition in cannabis users and a dampened reaction to negative stimuli for the first time.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
May 31, 2026
Anna Beatriz Vicentini, Caio César De Paula, José Augusto Silva Reis et al.
A systematic review of 48 studies (14 experimental, 34 observational) covering 2016–2024 found that classic psychedelics—such as psilocybin and ayahuasca—most consistently increase the personality trait Openness and reduce Neuroticism. Changes in Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were more variable. Microdosing was linked to modest reductions in Neuroticism and higher Absorption. Most studies used the Five-Factor Model. The findings suggest psychedelics can promote lasting personality changes, but contradictory results remain, and future research should combine experimental and naturalistic designs with longer follow-ups.
Psychedelics
April 20, 2026
José Carlos Bouso, Óscar Andión, Jordi Cantillo et al.
A 12-month study of 264 Western participants who attended Shipibo-led ayahuasca retreats in the Peruvian Amazon found lasting psychological improvements. Neuroticism and Openness to Experience decreased, while Extraversion increased. Quality of life improved across all measured domains, and decentering capacities increased with moderate to high effect sizes. Most participants (91.7%) reported long-term benefits, primarily in spiritual well-being, mental health, and personal growth. Adverse effects were minimal (2.3%). Higher baseline psychological distress was associated with higher Neuroticism and lower decentering, suggesting that enhancing decentering may serve as a resilience factor. The findings support ethical, non-extractive integration of traditional Amazonian practices into global mental health frameworks.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
March 9, 2026
Caio César De Paula, Anna Beatriz Vicentini, Lorena Terene Lopes Guerra et al.
A systematic review of 16 studies found that ayahuasca has distinct short- and long-term cognitive effects. In the short term, improvements in working memory and cognitive flexibility were observed, linked to neurochemical modulation of cortical networks. Observational studies reported increased empathy and emotion recognition, while experimental studies only found reduced reaction times in social cognition tasks. Long-term studies generally found no neuropsychological deficits, with some reporting improved memory and executive function. The review notes methodological limitations including small sample sizes, varied protocols, and potential learning effects, calling for more controlled, randomized studies.
European Neuropsychopharmacology
February 12, 2026
José Carlos Bouso, Óscar Andión, Sabela Fondevila Estévez et al.
Regular users of ayahuasca or cannabis show no detectable lasting impairments in executive function or working memory compared to non-users, after abstaining for 10-30 days. Personality traits, not cognition or psychopathology, best distinguish the groups: ayahuasca users score higher on self-transcendence and lower on harm avoidance and persistence, while cannabis users score higher on novelty seeking and impulsive nonconformity and lower on introvertive anhedonia. Although ayahuasca users had a higher lifetime prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders, they showed no current psychopathological symptoms. The study's cross-sectional, self-selected, non-treatment-seeking sample may limit generalizability.
PLoS ONE
October 13, 2025
Francisco González-espejito, Laura Esteban Rodríguez, Eduardo J. Pedrero Pérez et al.
Ibogaine, a compound from the iboga plant used in traditional Bwiti rituals, shows promise for treating opioid dependence and neurological conditions, but existing tools fail to capture its dream-like subjective effects. A new 70-item Ibogaine Experience Scale (IES) was developed from a prior qualitative study and tested with 499 participants in neuropsychiatric and substance use treatment settings. The final scale has seven factors—including narrative visions, visual changes, discomfort, cosmic visions, introspection, somatosensory sensitivity, and dissociation—explaining 53.9% of variance, with excellent statistical fit and high internal consistency. The IES offers a reliable way to measure ibogaine's multidimensional effects for research and clinical use.
Psychoactives
July 15, 2025
Bianca Villanova, Giordano Novak Rossi, Lorena Terene Lopes Guerra et al.
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew containing DMT and harmine, may reduce pain and inflammation. A systematic review of 29 preclinical studies found that ayahuasca and its alkaloids, especially harmine, produce antinociceptive effects and shift cytokine balance toward anti-inflammatory. More research is needed.
Frontiers in psychiatry
January 1, 2025
Jonathan David, José Carlos Bouso, Maja Kohek et al.
correction
A correction was issued for a published article: the average number of ayahuasca uses in the ayahuasca group was revised from 69.4 to 55.7 (standard deviation 82.1). Participants had used ayahuasca 5.2 times more than psilocybin, 4.6 times more than mescaline, and 5.6 times more than LSD. The authors state the error does not alter the scientific conclusions.
Archives of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
January 1, 2024
Débora González, Jordi Cantillo, José Carlos Bouso
Grief is a universal and recurrent experience, as each of the approximately 58 million annual deaths worldwide directly affects about nine close relatives. This underscores that bereavement is not a one-time event but a process that can occur multiple times across a person's life.