Effects of Ayahuasca on the Recognition of Facial Expressions of Emotions in Naive Healthy Volunteers
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology April 13, 2021 Juliana Mendes Rocha, Giordano Novak Rossi, Flávia de Lima Osório et al. 46 citations
A single dose of ayahuasca did not alter the recognition of emotions in facial expressions compared with placebo in healthy volunteers. The drug was well tolerated, producing nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, and vomiting, with some reports of visual effects, tranquility, and well-being, and few reports of transient anxiety or confusion. No significant effects appeared on cardiovascular measures or brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. A significant time-dependent deterioration of alkaloids, especially dimethyltryptamine, was observed. The absence of effects on emotion recognition may stem from the dose used, alkaloid degradation, learning effects, or the sample's high educational level.