The DOI matches its Crossref record; 47 of the 48 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Increased frontal and paralimbic activation following ayahuasca, the pan-amazonian inebriant
Open accessAbstract
Rationale Ayahuasca is a South American psychoactive plant tea which contains the serotonergic psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and monoamine-oxidase inhibitors that render DMT orally active. Previous investigations with ayahuasca have highlighted a psychotropic effect profile characterized by enhanced introspective attention, with individuals reporting altered somatic perceptions and intense emotional modifications, frequently accompanied by visual imagery. Despite recent advances in the study of ayahuasca pharmacology, the neural correlates of acute ayahuasca intoxication remain largely unknown.Objectives To investigate the effects of ayahuasca administration on regional cerebral blood flow.Methods Fifteen male volunteers with prior experience in the use of psychedelics received a single oral dose of encapsulated freeze-dried ayahuasca equivalent to 1.0 mg DMT/kg body weight and a placebo in a randomized double-blind clinical trial. Regional cerebral blood flow was measured 100-110 min after drug administration by means of single photon emission tomography (SPECT).Results Ayahuasca administration led to significant activation of frontal and paralimbic brain regions. Increased blood perfusion was observed bilaterally in the anterior insula, with greater intensity in the right hemisphere, and in the anterior cingulate/frontomedial cortex of the right hemisphere, areas previously implicated in somatic awareness, subjective feeling states, and emotional arousal. Additional increases were observed in the left amygdala/parahippocampal gyrus, a structure also involved in emotional arousal.Conclusions The present results suggest that ayahuasca interacts with neural systems that are central to interoception and emotional processing and point to a modulatory role of serotonergic neurotransmission in these processes.
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“This increased right side perfusion after Ayahuasca [141] and the right side hypermetabolism after psilocybin [137] seem at odds with the right side hypoperfusion after mescaline [140].”
From Molecular and Functional Imaging Studies of Psychedelic Drug Action in Animals and Humans. (2021) · cites this paper as [141]
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“While similar in distribution, the magnitude of the CBF response in depression patients was distinctly less than that in the study of healthy volunteers by Riba et al. [141].”
From Molecular and Functional Imaging Studies of Psychedelic Drug Action in Animals and Humans. (2021) · cites this paper as [141]
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“A group of 15 healthy males with previous hallucinogen experience had perfusion SPECT scans before and after receiving authentic Ayahuasca at a dose of 1 mg DMT (9)/kg [141]. In contrast to results for mescaline, the Ayahuasca treatment provoked bilateral activations of perfusion in the anterior insula (which were more pronounced in the right hemisphere), along with activation in the right”
From Molecular and Functional Imaging Studies of Psychedelic Drug Action in Animals and Humans. (2021) · cites this paper as [141]
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“These activations coincided with distinct increases in score in a hallucinogen rating scale.”
From Molecular and Functional Imaging Studies of Psychedelic Drug Action in Animals and Humans. (2021) · cites this paper as [141]
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“For example, enhanced activation of the ACC and other prefrontal regions was observed in novice and experienced meditators (120–122), and as a result of ayahuasca administration (33, 63).”
From Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (2021) · cites this paper as [63]
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“Similarly, ayahuasca's anti-depressive potential has been demonstrated in pilot studies and replicated in a RCT on patients with treatment-resistant depression (33, 36, 63).”
From Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (2021) · cites this paper as [63]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“Riba’s group (Riba et al., 2006) conducted single-photon emission computed tomography to reveal the brain areas affected by ayahuasca ingestion. Increased activity was recorded bilaterally in the anterior insula, in the fronto-medial cortical anterior cingulate of the right hemisphere and the left amygdala.”
From The therapeutic potentials of Ayahuasca: possible effects against various diseases of civilization (2016) · cites this paper as Riba et al., 2006
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Citations
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“Recent research has shown bilateral insular and cingulate activation in tasks requiring interoceptive attention, with the right anterior insula specifically subserving explicit awareness of bodily processes (Critchley et al. 2004).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Riba, J., Romero, S., Grasa, E., Mena, E., Carrió, I., & Barbanoj, M. J.
- Affiliations
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES)
- Hospital de Sant Pau (ES)
- Venue
- Psychopharmacology
- Published
- 2006-03-31
- Volume
- 186
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 93-98
- ISSN
- 0033-3158 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-2072
- OpenAlex
- W2103583518
- Cited by
- 241
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 4.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Psychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- RECERCAT (Consorci de Serveis Universitaris de Catalunya) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- UPCommons institutional repository (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Alkaloids: synthesis and pharmacology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- ayahuasca, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, regional cerebral blood flow, frontal cortex activation, paralimbic system, anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, interoception, emotional processing, serotonergic neurotransmission
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Brain, Double-Blind Method, Euphoria, Humans, Male, Psychotropic Drugs, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon, Plant Preparations, Banisteriopsis
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