Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK.
Department of Clinical Neurosciences/DIMSC, School of Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
Hum Psychopharmacol. 2020 May;35(3):e2728. doi: 10.1002/hup.2728. Epub 2020 Mar 27.
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic plant preparation, traditionally consumed in sacred ceremonies by indigenous North-Westerner Amazonian countries like Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Ecuador. It is fundamental to carefully balance benefits/risks related to the ayahuasca intake, both during ceremonies and experimental settings. The aim is at evaluating and comparing the potential therapeutic benefits versus health risks related to ayahuasca intake (both acutely and chronically), focusing on its application in psychedelic psychiatry.
A comprehensive mini overview focusing on psychiatric outcomes following ayahuasca intake both in healthy volunteers and in clinical samples.
Preclinical, observational, and experimental studies in healthy volunteers as well as in clinical samples suggest that ayahuasca may be beneficial as an antidepressant, emotional regulator, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive drug, by exerting fast-acting and enduring clinical effects. Ayahuasca appears to be safe and well tolerated, nausea and emesis being the most reported and transient side effects. Some findings suggest not to use ayahuasca in bipolar or psychotic patients because of an increased risk of manic switch and/or psychotic onset.
Further research should be carried out in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, by implementing neuroimaging studies, in order to better evaluate therapeutic potential of ayahuasca in mental disorders.
阿育吠陀是一种致幻植物制剂，传统上由哥伦比亚、秘鲁、巴西和厄瓜多尔等北美西部亚马逊国家在神圣仪式中使用。在仪式和实验环境中，谨慎平衡与阿育吠陀摄入相关的益处/风险至关重要。目的是评估和比较与阿育吠陀摄入（急性和慢性）相关的潜在治疗益处与健康风险，重点关注其在迷幻精神病学中的应用。
全面的小型综述，重点关注阿育吠陀摄入后对健康志愿者和临床样本的精神科结果。
在健康志愿者和临床样本中的临床前、观察性和实验研究表明，阿育吠陀可能作为抗抑郁药、情绪调节剂、抗焦虑药和抗成瘾药物有益，因为它具有快速作用和持久的临床效果。阿育吠陀似乎是安全且耐受良好的，最常见且短暂的副作用是恶心和呕吐。一些研究结果表明，由于躁狂发作的风险增加，不应该在双相情感障碍或精神病患者中使用阿育吠陀。
应该在随机、双盲、安慰剂对照试验中进行进一步研究，通过实施神经影像学研究，以更好地评估阿育吠陀在精神障碍中的治疗潜力。
