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

• 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; Well being
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042421

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.