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.
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.
Psychopharmacology
June 20, 2013
José Carlos Bouso, Josep María Fábregas, Rosa María Antonijoan et al.
96 citations
Ayahuasca shows promise in enhancing cognitive flexibility, with a study involving 60 participants revealing a significant improvement in Stroop test performance—an indicator of cognitive control. Participants demonstrated a 25% reduction in reaction times compared to baseline measurements. This suggests that psychedelics like ayahuasca may influence neurotransmitter receptors, impacting behavior and cognition. The findings align with growing interest in the intersection of neuropsychology and psychedelics, highlighting potential therapeutic applications in medicine. Advanced biochemical analysis techniques further support these insights into auditory processing and cognition.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
June 5, 2015
Marta Valle, Montserrat Puntes, Jimena Coimbra et al.
75 citations
Salvinorin-A, a compound from the plant Salvia divinorum that activates kappa-opioid receptors, produces dose-dependent changes in perception and body awareness. In eight healthy volunteers with prior psychedelic experience, vaporized salvinorin-A at 0.25, 0.50, and 1 mg caused detachment from external reality, elaborate visions, and auditory phenomena. Lower doses increased bodily sensations, while the highest dose produced a complete loss of contact with the body. The effects on body awareness followed an inverted-U pattern, suggesting the kappa-opioid receptor plays a key role in regulating sensory perception, interoception, and the sense of body ownership.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 12, 2016
Marta Valle, Montserrat Puntes, Jimena Coimbra et al.
31 citations
Salvinorin-A, a terpene from the plant Salvia divinorum, induces an intense but short-lasting altered state of awareness similar to classical psychedelics, but it acts on kappa-opioid receptors rather than serotonin-2A receptors. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 24 healthy volunteers experienced with psychedelics, inhalation of 1 mg of vaporized salvinorin-A severely reduced external sensory perception, caused intense visual and auditory modifications, and increased systolic blood pressure, cortisol, and prolactin. These effects were effectively blocked by the opioid antagonist naltrexone (50 mg orally) but not by the serotonin-2A antagonist ketanserin (40 mg orally), confirming that salvinorin-A's mechanism involves kappa-opioid receptor agonism and not serotonin-2A agonism.