Science

Effects of long-term ayahuasca administration on memory and anxiety in rats

Neuropsychological investigation have found that long-term ayahuasca users had better performance than control subjects on tests of frontal function and on the WHO-UCLA auditory verbal learning test.

Since the 1980s, churches in which ayahuasca is prepared and consumed have been spreading to urban centers initially in South America and then in North America and in Europe. Recently it has shown that the administration of the [ayahuasca] tea in rats changes the serotonin levels in the amygdala and hippocampus, brain regions known to be related to the emotional behavior and memory. However, despite of acting directly on the serotoninergic receptors, it was also observed an increase on the dopamine and noradrenaline levels in amygdala of animals. The impact of acute ayahuasca consumption on the activation of limbic structures was also observed in human neuroimaging studies. Oral ayahuasca administration in volunteers increased the cerebral blood flow in regions known to be involved with episodic memory, contextual associations and emotional processing, such as the parahippocampal gyrus, the anterior cingulate cortex and the amygdala . In addition, long-term ayahuasca users have reported that regular use of ayahuasca in a religious context improves memory, concentration and a sense of meaning in their lives. Neuropsychological investigation have found that long-term ayahuasca users had better performance than control subjects on tests of frontal function and on the WHO-UCLA auditory verbal learning test.

Original Article (Plog.org Journals):
Effects of Long-Term Ayahuasca Administration on Memory and Anxiety in Rats
Artwork Fair Use: Awkipuma

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