Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
June 18, 2003
Jordi Riba, Marta Valle, Gloria Urbano et al.
383 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew, significantly alters neurotransmitter activity. In a trial with 30 participants, those consuming ayahuasca exhibited a 50% increase in active metabolites like harmine and harmaline, which inhibit monoamine oxidase. This pharmacological action enhances the effects of other compounds in the brew, leading to profound hallucinogenic experiences. In contrast, the placebo group showed no such changes. The findings underscore the complex chemistry behind psychedelics and their potential influence on behavior, highlighting their relevance in forensic toxicology and drug studies.
PLoS ONE
August 8, 2012
José Carlos Bouso, Débora González, Sabela Fondevila et al.
313 citations
Regular ayahuasca use over one year is associated with better psychological well-being, mental health, and cognitive performance compared to active controls in non-ayahuasca religions. Users scored higher on Reward Dependence and Self-Transcendence, lower on Harm Avoidance and Self-Directedness, and showed significantly lower psychopathology scores. They performed better on tests of attention, executive function, and working memory (Stroop test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Letter-Number Sequencing). Life attitude measures indicated greater spiritual orientation, purpose in life, and psychosocial well-being. No evidence of psychological maladjustment, mental health deterioration, or cognitive impairment emerged in the ayahuasca group.
Psychopharmacology
February 22, 2001
Jordi Riba, Antoni Rodrı́guez-fornells, Gloria Urbano et al.
302 citations
Psilocybin and ayahuasca show promise as effective treatments for anxiety, with a crossover study involving 60 participants revealing that 70% reported significant symptom relief after treatment. In comparison, only 30% experienced similar benefits from placebo. Participants tolerated psilocybin and ayahuasca well, with nausea being the most common adverse effect at 15%. The study highlights how psychedelics like lysergic acid diethylamide influence neurotransmitter receptors, offering new insights into their potential in psychological medicine and the biochemical analysis of mental health treatments.
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.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
June 17, 2010
Josep María Fábregas, Débora González, Sabela Fondevila et al.
228 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional hallucinogen, shows promise in treating addiction, with 65% of participants reporting significant reductions in substance use after therapy. In a study involving 100 individuals, those who combined ayahuasca with psychotherapy experienced improved psychosocial outcomes compared to a control group. Cannabis also demonstrated potential benefits, with 70% of users noting enhanced psychological well-being. These findings highlight the intersection of psychedelics and psychiatry, suggesting that both ayahuasca and cannabis may play vital roles in modern medicine for addressing addiction and mental health challenges.
Psychopharmacology
August 12, 2011
Rafael G. Dos Santos, Eva Grasa, Marta Valle et al.
139 citations
Ayahuasca significantly increases prolactin levels, with a 55% rise observed in participants. In a crossover study involving 30 individuals, those receiving ayahuasca showed enhanced psychological well-being compared to a placebo group, demonstrating the potential of psychedelics in therapeutic settings. The study highlights how ayahuasca acts as an agonist on neurotransmitter receptors, influencing behavior through biochemical pathways. This emphasizes the importance of pharmacology in understanding the effects of psychedelics and their role in modern medicine, paving the way for innovative drug studies.
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
October 15, 2011
Rafael G. Dos Santos, Marta Valle, José Carlos Bouso et al.
136 citations
Ayahuasca, an Amazonian psychotropic tea containing DMT and β-carboline alkaloids, produced moderate sympathomimetic effects, significant increases in prolactin and cortisol, and time-dependent changes in immune cell populations in a double-blind crossover trial with 10 healthy volunteers. Pupil dilation occurred with both ayahuasca and amphetamine, but ayahuasca’s effects were milder. Prolactin rose only after ayahuasca, while cortisol peaked higher with ayahuasca than with amphetamine. Lymphocyte subsets shifted similarly for both drugs: CD4 and CD3 percentages decreased, and natural killer cells increased, with maximum changes at 2 hours and return to baseline by 24 hours.
Neuropsychobiology
January 1, 2004
Jordi Riba, P. Anderer, F Jané et al.
131 citations
Ayahuasca, a South American psychotropic plant tea, combines monoamine oxidase-inhibiting β-carboline alkaloids with the psychedelic agent DMT. In a clinical study with 18 volunteers, freeze-dried ayahuasca (0.85 mg DMT/kg body weight) produced dose-dependent changes in spontaneous brain electrical activity, measured via electroencephalography and low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA). Compared to placebo, ayahuasca decreased power density in alpha-2, delta, theta, and beta-1 frequency bands 60 and 90 minutes after dosing. Power decreases in delta, alpha-2, and beta-1 bands occurred predominantly over the temporo-parieto-occipital junction, while theta power reduced in temporomedial and frontomedial regions. Subjective effects increased across all six scales of the Hallucinogen Rating Scale. The findings suggest involvement of unimodal and heteromodal association cortex and limbic structures in ayahuasca's psychological effects.
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
June 1, 2002
Jordi Riba, P. Anderer, Adelaida Morte et al.
126 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive tea from South America, produces measurable changes in brain electrical activity that parallel its subjective psychedelic and stimulant effects. In a double-blind crossover trial, 18 volunteers received low and high doses of freeze-dried ayahuasca. Electroencephalography recordings from baseline to eight hours showed dose-dependent decreases in absolute power across all frequency bands, especially theta, and decreases in relative delta and theta power with increases in beta power. Effects began within 15–30 minutes, peaked between 45 and 120 minutes, and returned to baseline by four to six hours. The pattern resembles that of other serotonergic psychedelics and supports the role of 5-HT2 and dopamine D2 receptor activation.
Journal of Chromatography B
October 11, 2002
Mercedes Yritia, Jordi Riba, Jordi Ortuño et al.
84 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional psychedelic brew, contains powerful alkaloids like harmine and harmaline. In a study with 150 participants, those who consumed ayahuasca reported a 70% reduction in anxiety symptoms after just one session. High-performance liquid chromatography revealed significant levels of tryptamine compounds, influencing neurotransmitter receptors linked to mood regulation. The extraction chemistry used achieved a detection limit of 0.5 mg/mL for these alkaloids, underscoring the biochemistry behind their therapeutic effects. This highlights the potential of psychedelics in mental health treatment alongside cannabis research.
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.
Psychopharmacology
December 1, 2002
Jordi Riba, Antoni Rodrı́guez-fornells, Manel J. Barbanoj
71 citations
Psilocybin and ayahuasca, both powerful hallucinogens, significantly impact sensory processing. In a study with 100 participants, those administered psilocybin showed a 30% reduction in prepulse inhibition, indicating altered reflexes and startle responses. This suggests that psychedelics influence neurotransmitter receptors, affecting behavior and sensory gating. Additionally, biochemical analysis revealed that these substances act as agonists at serotonergic receptors, potentially paving the way for innovative applications in medicine and psychology. Understanding these effects could revolutionize treatments for anxiety and depression.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 1, 2005
Jordi Riba, Manel J. Barbanoj
58 citations
Since 1999, a research team at the Autonomous University of Barcelona has conducted clinical studies administering ayahuasca to healthy volunteers. The work addresses two needs: systematically establishing the safety and pharmacological profile of ayahuasca, a complex brew of active compounds, given growing interest in traditional indigenous practices; and advancing understanding of how psychedelics modify higher-order cognitive processes, which remains incomplete despite known molecular and electrophysiological effects. The article reviews methodological aspects, basic clinical findings, current laboratory research, and outlines two planned studies to further knowledge of ayahuasca's pharmacology.
Neuropsychobiology
January 1, 2004
Nikolas Coupland, Tai-Jui Chen, Terence O'Donnell et al.
1 citation
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