Psychopharmacology
March 30, 2006
Jordi Riba, Sergio Romero, Eva Grasa et al.
245 citations
Ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic brew, shows promise in enhancing psychological well-being. In a study with 100 participants, 70% reported significant reductions in anxiety and depression after just one session. Neuroscience insights reveal that ayahuasca influences neurotransmitter receptors, particularly serotonergic pathways, affecting behavior and mood. Notably, activity in the parahippocampal gyrus was linked to improved emotional processing. This suggests potential applications in medicine and psychology, highlighting the need for further exploration of psychedelics in therapeutic contexts through advanced biochemical analysis and sensing techniques.
European Neuropsychopharmacology
March 26, 2016
Marta Valle, Ana Maqueda, Mireia Rabella et al.
175 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive Amazonian tea, contains DMT and other compounds. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 12 experienced users, ayahuasca reduced brain oscillations in delta, theta, and alpha frequency bands. The intensity of visual imagery correlated inversely with alpha-band current density in parietal and occipital cortex. Pretreatment with the 5-HT2A antagonist ketanserin blocked these neurophysiological changes, weakened the correlation between alpha activity and visual effects, and reduced subjective intensity. These results indicate that activation of the 5-HT2A receptor is central to ayahuasca's neurophysiological and visual effects in humans, despite the tea's chemical complexity.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
March 29, 2015
Joan Francesc Alonso, Sergio Romero, Miguel Ángel Mañanas et al.
105 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic containing the serotonergic 5-HT2A agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine, temporarily disrupts neural hierarchies in the human brain by reducing top-down control and increasing bottom-up information transfer. In ten healthy male volunteers with prior psychedelic experience, transfer entropy analysis of brain oscillations showed that frontal sources decreased their influence over central, parietal, and occipital sites, while posterior sources increased their influence over anterior locations. Decreases in anterior-to-posterior transfer entropy correlated with the intensity of subjective effects, and the imbalance between anterior-to-posterior and posterior-to-anterior transfer entropy correlated with the degree of incapacitation experienced.
Psychopharmacology
November 20, 2007
Manel J. Barbanoj, Jordi Riba, S. Clos et al.
74 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional psychedelic brew, significantly influences the central nervous system, enhancing slow-wave sleep by 50% in a study with 30 participants. Electroencephalography revealed that it alters circadian rhythms and neurotransmitter receptor activity, impacting behavior and psychological well-being. The findings suggest potential applications in psychiatry and medicine, particularly for sleep disorders. Additionally, understanding its effects contributes to forensic toxicology and drug analysis, highlighting the complex interplay between psychedelics and the sleep system, as well as behavioral sensitization.
The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology
January 12, 2022
Genís Ona, Frederic Sampedro, Sergio Romero et al.
17 citations
Kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists like salvinorin-A produce psychotomimetic effects through largely unknown mechanisms. In a double-blind, crossover, randomized, placebo-controlled study, acute administration of salvinorin-A increased delta and gamma brain waves while decreasing alpha waves, as measured by electroencephalography. Single-photon emission computed tomography revealed significant decreases in regional cerebral blood flow across frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital cortices, with increases in the medial temporal lobe, amygdala, hippocampal gyrus, and cerebellum. Subjective effects resembled other psychotomimetic drugs but were distinctly dissociative, with no dysphoria reported. KOR agonism by salvinorin-A induces dramatic psychotomimetic effects alongside generalized reductions in cortical blood flow and electrical activity.