Frontiers in Psychiatry
June 9, 2021
Simon Ruffell, Nige Netzband, WaiFung Tsang et al.
74 citations
A naturalistic study of 63 people who participated in ayahuasca ceremonies at a retreat in the Peruvian Amazon found significant improvements in depression, anxiety, and overall psychological distress, along with increased self-compassion, immediately after the retreat and sustained at six months. Depression scores on the Beck Depression Inventory dropped from 13.9 to 6.1, anxiety scores on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory fell from 44.4 to 34.3, and scores on the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure decreased from 37.3 to 22.3. Changes in memory valence were linked to these improvements. Epigenetic results were inconclusive but suggested further research on the SIGMAR1 gene is warranted.
Psychopharmacology
July 23, 2020
Nige Netzband, Simon Ruffell, Sabriya Linton et al.
56 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew containing DMT and MAOIs, is traditionally used ceremonially in the Amazon and increasingly by tourists seeking healing or spiritual growth. In a mixed-design study, 24 participants who ingested ayahuasca showed significant increases in agreeableness and reductions in neuroticism compared to a control group, with changes sustained at a 6-month follow-up; trait openness also increased at follow-up. Greater perceived mystical experience was linked to larger reductions in neuroticism. These results suggest a positive mediating effect of ayahuasca on personality, supporting potential therapeutic uses for serotonergic psychedelics.
Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry
July 3, 2020
Simon Ruffell, Nige Netzband, Catherine Bird et al.
43 citations
Ayahuasca, a South American psychoactive plant brew used in traditional spiritual and cultural rituals, has been studied primarily for the prevention of deamination of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) by monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) in the brew. Two constituents, DMT and harmine, have received more research attention than secondary harmala alkaloids. Current evidence suggests that the pharmacological interactions in ayahuasca may act synergistically or additively to produce psychoactive effects, but the understanding of these synergistic mechanisms is limited and more complex processes may be involved. There is not yet enough data to determine any potential synergistic interaction between the known compounds, and increased pharmacological understanding is needed to avoid potential risks.
PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
December 1, 2023
Simon G D Ruffell, Max Crosland-Wood, Rob Palmer et al.
37 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic plant brew from the Amazon made from Banisteriopsis caapi vine and a DMT-containing plant like Psychotria viridis, has attracted growing interest since the year 2000. This review covers its history, pharmacology, and the phenomenological responses it produces. Anecdotal reports range from positive to accounts of physical and psychological harm. The authors discuss effects on personality and mental health, and examine phenomenological analyses of the experience. They conclude that ayahuasca is a promising psychedelic agent deserving more empirical research into its neurochemical mechanisms and potential therapeutic use.
Drug Science Policy and Law
January 1, 2024
Simon Ruffell, Sam Gandy, WaiFung Tsang et al.
10 citations
Participating in ayahuasca retreats in a traditional Indigenous Amazonian context was associated with significant increases in nature relatedness and improvements in depression and stress, but not anxiety. A moderate negative correlation indicated that greater increases in nature relatedness were linked to lower stress levels. The study involved a mean of 6.31 ceremonies. It remains unclear whether changes resulted from the ayahuasca brew, the ceremonies, or the retreat setting. The findings suggest a potential therapeutic role for such retreats as a multidimensional intervention, but further research is needed to identify mediators and assess long-term effects.
Frontiers in psychiatry
January 1, 2023
Simon G D Ruffell, Nige Netzband, WaiFung Tsang et al.
1 citation
correction
This is a correction notice for a previously published article. It provides no new findings, arguments, or data.