Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report

Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria

Flávia De L. Osório¹  Rafael F. Sanches¹  Ligia R. Macedo¹  Rafael G. Dos Santos¹  João P. Maia-de-oliveira¹  Lauro Wichert-ana¹  Draulio B. De Araujo¹  Jordi Riba¹  José A. Crippa¹  Jaime E. Hallak¹ 

关键词: Psychedelic agents;    dimethyltryptamine;    harmine;    monoamine oxidase inhibitors;    therapeutic use;   

DOI  :  10.1590/1516-4446-2014-1496

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Objectives: Ayahuasca (AYA), a natural psychedelic brew prepared from Amazonian plants and rich in dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmine, causes effects of subjective well-being and may therefore have antidepressant actions. This study sought to evaluate the effects of a single dose of AYA in six volunteers with a current depressive episode. Methods: Open-label trial conducted in an inpatient psychiatric unit. Results: Statistically significant reductions of up to 82% in depressive scores were observed between baseline and 1, 7, and 21 days after AYA administration, as measured on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and the Anxious-Depression subscale of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). AYA administration resulted in nonsignificant changes in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) scores and in the thinking disorder subscale of the BPRS, suggesting that AYA does not induce episodes of mania and/or hypomania in patients with mood disorders and that modifications in thought content, which could indicate psychedelic effects, are not essential for mood improvement. Conclusions: These results suggest that AYA has fast-acting anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in patients with a depressive disorder.

【 授权许可】

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