Personality, psychopathology, life attitudes and neuropsychological performance among ritual users of Ayahuasca: a longitudinal study

Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychoactive plant beverage containing the serotonergic 5-HT(2A) agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and monoamine oxidase-inhibiting alkaloids (harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine) that render it orally active. Ayahuasca ingestion is a central feature in several Braz...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2012-08, Vol.7 (8), p.e42421-e42421
Main Authors: Bouso, José Carlos, González, Débora, Fondevila, Sabela, Cutchet, Marta, Fernández, Xavier, Ribeiro Barbosa, Paulo César, Alcázar-Córcoles, Miguel Ángel, Araújo, Wladimyr Sena, Barbanoj, Manel J, Fábregas, Josep Maria, Riba, Jordi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Alcohol
Alkaloids
Amine oxidase (flavin-containing)
Attitude
Banisteriopsis - adverse effects
Banisteriopsis - metabolism
Beverage industry
Beverages
Biology
Blood flow
Brain
Brazil
Case-Control Studies
Cerebrovascular Circulation - drug effects
Ceremonial Behavior
Chemistry
Churches
Cocaine
Cognition
Cognitive ability
Correlation analysis
Cultural heritage
Drug abuse
Drug use
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Ingestion
Inhibition (psychology)
International economic relations
Longitudinal Studies
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide
Male
Medicine
Memory
Mental disorders
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Monoamine oxidase
Neuropsychological Tests
Neuropsychology - methods
Personality
Personality - drug effects
Psychiatry
Psychological aspects
Psychological factors
Psychopathology
Psychopathology - methods
Psychopharmacology
Psychotropic drugs
Reinforcement
Religion
Reward
Rites, ceremonies and celebrations
Sequences
Serotonin S2 receptors
Social and Behavioral Sciences
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Summary:Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychoactive plant beverage containing the serotonergic 5-HT(2A) agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and monoamine oxidase-inhibiting alkaloids (harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine) that render it orally active. Ayahuasca ingestion is a central feature in several Brazilian syncretic churches that have expanded their activities to urban Brazil, Europe and North America. Members of these groups typically ingest ayahuasca at least twice per month. Prior research has shown that acute ayahuasca increases blood flow in prefrontal and temporal brain regions and that it elicits intense modifications in thought processes, perception and emotion. However, regular ayahuasca use does not seem to induce the pattern of addiction-related problems that characterize drugs of abuse. To study the impact of repeated ayahuasca use on general psychological well-being, mental health and cognition, here we assessed personality, psychopathology, life attitudes and neuropsychological performance in regular ayahuasca users (n = 127) and controls (n = 115) at baseline and 1 year later. Controls were actively participating in non-ayahuasca religions. Users showed higher Reward Dependence and Self-Transcendence and lower Harm Avoidance and Self-Directedness. They scored significantly lower on all psychopathology measures, showed better performance on the Stroop test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the Letter-Number Sequencing task from the WAIS-III, and better scores on the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale. Analysis of life attitudes showed higher scores on the Spiritual Orientation Inventory, the Purpose in Life Test and the Psychosocial Well-Being test. Despite the lower number of participants available at follow-up, overall differences with controls were maintained one year later. In conclusion, we found no evidence of psychological maladjustment, mental health deterioration or cognitive impairment in the ayahuasca-using group.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0042421