Ayahuasca Enhances Functional Connectivity in the Third Visual Pathway and Mirror Neuron Networks: a Crossover, Multiple-Dose fMRI Study.
Social cognitive and affective neuroscience January 31, 2026 Carla Soares, Gisela Lima, Marta Teixeira et al. 1 citation
A pharmacoimaging study examined how ayahuasca affects a brain region involved in social perception, the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), which is part of the third visual pathway. Twelve healthy volunteers received two doses of ayahuasca (0.5 mg/kg and 0.8 mg/kg DMT) or a placebo in a crossover design. The higher dose increased connectivity of the right pSTS with visual and mirror-neuron brain regions. This enhanced connectivity correlated with stronger perspective-taking experiences. Participants also reported improved social relationships one week later, even though acute effects were minimal. The findings suggest ayahuasca strengthens early social information processing through the third visual pathway and mirror-neuron systems, offering a basis for its prosocial therapeutic effects.