title: Ayahuasca in adolescence: a neuropsychological assessment.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to evaluate neuropsychologically adolescents who use ayahuasca in a religious context. A battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to adolescents who use ayahuasca. These subjects were compared to a matched control group of adolescents who did not use ayahuasca. The controls were matched with regards to sex, age, and education. The neuropsychological battery included tests of speeded attention, visual search, sequencing, psychomotor speed, verbal and visual abilities, memory, and mental flexibility. The statistical results for subjects from matched controls on neuropsychological measures were computed using independent t-tests. Overall, statistical findings suggested that there was no significant difference between the two groups on neuropsychological measures. Even though, the data overall supports that there was not a difference between ayahuasca users and matched controls on neuropsychological measures, further studies are necessary to support these findings.
authors.affiliation: Addiction Unit (PROAD), Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Doering-Silveira
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Charles S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Grob
authors.forename: Marlene Dobkin
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: de Rios
authors.forename: Luisa K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tacla
authors.forename: Itiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shirakawa
authors.forename: Paulo H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Bertolucci
authors.forename: Dartiu X
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Da Silveira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D031581:Banisteriopsis / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D001938:Brazil; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs