Evelyn Doering-Silveira

Report on Psychoactive Drug Use Among Adolescents Using Ayahuasca Within a Religious Context

Abstract Ritual use of ayahuasca within the context of the Brazilian ayahuasca churches often starts during late childhood or early adolescence. Premature access to psychoactive drugs may represent a risk factor for drug misuse. Conversely, religious affiliation seems to play a protective role in terms of substance abuse. The objective of this study was to describe patterns of drug use in a sample of adolescents using ayahuasca within a religious setting. Forty-one adolescents from a Brazilian ayahuasca sect were compared with 43 adolescents who never drank ayahuasca. No significant differences were identified in terms of lifetime substance consumption. Throughout the previous year period, ayahuasca adolescents used less alcohol (46.31%) than the comparison group (74.4%). Recent use of alcohol was also more frequent among the latter group (65.1%) than among ayahuasca drinkers (32.5%). Although not statistically significant, slight differences in terms of patterns of drug use were definitely observed among groups. Despite their early exposure to a hallucinogenic substance, adolescents using ayahuasca in a controlled setting were mostly comparable to controls except for a considerably smaller proportion of alcohol users. Religious affiliation may have played a central role as a possible protective factor for alcohol use. Thus, ayahuasca seems to be a relatively safe substance as far as drug misuse is concerned.

Ayahuasca in adolescence: a preliminary psychiatric assessment.

Abstract Ayahuasca is believed to be harmless for those (including adolescents) drinking it within a religious setting. Nevertheless controlled studies on the mental/ psychiatric status of ritual hallucinogenic ayahuasca concoction consumers are still lacking. In this study, 40 adolescents from a Brazilian ayahuasca sect were compared with 40 controls matched on sex, age, and educational background for psychiatric symptomatology. Screening scales for depression, anxiety, alcohol consumption patterns (abuse), attentional problems. and body dysmorphic disorders were used. It was found that, compared to controls, considerable lower frequencies of positive scoring for anxiety, body dismorphism, and attentional problems were detected among ayahuasca-using adolescents despite overall similar psychopathological profiles displayed by both study groups. Low frequencies of psychiatric symptoms detected among adolescents consuming ayahuasca within a religious context may reflect a protective effect due to their religious affiliation. However further studies on the possible interference of other variables in the outcome are necessary.

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.

Ayahuasca in Adolescence: Qualitative Results

Abstract Qualitative research was conducted in Brazil among 28 ayahuasca-consuming adolescents members of the Uniāo do Vegetal Church, and 28 adolescents who never used ayahuasca. They were compared on a number of qualitative variables, including vignettes measuring moral and ethical concerns. Psychocultural studies utilizing co-occurences of variables in the realm of qualitative studies are useful in understanding and complementing quantitative studies also conducted among this population. Qualitative data show that the teens in the Uniāo do Vegetal religion appear to be healthy, thoughtful, considerate and bonded to their families and religious peers. This study examines the modem use of a powerful hallucinogenic compound within a legal religious context, and the youth who participated in these ayahuasca religious ceremonies (usually with parents and other family members) appeared not to differ from their nonayahuasca-using peers. This study helps to elucidate the full range of effects of plant hallucinogenic use within a socially-sanctioned, elder-facilitated and structured religious context.

PW01-222 - Adolescents using hallucinogens within a religious context: a neuropsychological assessment

Introduction The use of psychoactive substances has been frequently associated with cognitive impairment. More and more people, including adolescents, use the plant hallucinogen beverage “ayahuasca” throughout the world. Long-term ayahuasca use by adolescents might eventually result in impaired cognitive performance. Objective The objective of this study is to assess neuropsychological performance of adolescents who consume ayahuasca within a religious ritual setting. Method Forty ayahuasca consuming adolescents and forty adolescents who never used ayahuasca were compared on their performance on a battery of neuropsychological tests. Groups were matched by sex, age, and educational level. Results Both groups performed well on all neuropsychological tests. However, there were differences between the groups. Controls outperformed subjects on more complex tests, that is, those requiring more cognitive functions to perform a specific task. Conclusions Adolescents who consume ayahuasca performed well on all the neuropsychological tests. However they did not perform as well as the control group whenever extra cognitive strength was required. It is possible that ayahuasca may have some subtle effect on cognition that can only be observed before highly demanding tasks. However, other variables may have interfered with these findings.

P02-156 - Abnormal brain perfusion among cocaine addicts

Introduction Cocaine use is related to several cardiovascular conditions. Vasoconstriction seems to be particularly harmful to the brain. Objective To evaluate the relationship between the pattern of cocaine use and cerebral perfusion among cocaine addicts. Method A sample of 30 cocaine addicts was studied using 99 m-Tc-HMPAO SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography with injection of 99 m-Tc-hexametilpropilenoamina-oxime). Their cerebral perfusion pattern was then compared with their pattern of cocaine use. Results Eighty percent of the sample presented some degree of impairment in brain perfusion, either focal or diffuse. There was no difference between sniffers and crack smokers regarding their perfusion patterns. No relationship could be established between the severity of SPECT abnormalities and the amount of drug consumption or the duration of abstinence. However, duration of cocaine use did correlate with the severity of cerebral perfusion (Spearman correlation coefficient: r = 0.45, p Conclusion This study documents the high frequency of cerebral functional impairment in cocaine addicts and establishes the relationship between duration of cocaine exposure and severity of perfusion abnormalities.