PW01-222 - Adolescents Using Hallucinogens Within A Religious Context: A Neuropsychological Assessment
European Psychiatry January 1, 2010 Evelyn Doering-Silveira, Enrique Lopez, Charles S. Grob et al.
Adolescents who consume ayahuasca in a religious ritual setting perform well on neuropsychological tests, but not as well as non-using peers on complex tasks that require more cognitive functions. The study compared 40 ayahuasca-using adolescents with 40 matched controls. Both groups performed well overall, but controls outperformed users on the more demanding tests. The authors suggest ayahuasca may have subtle effects on cognition observable only during highly demanding tasks, while noting that other variables could have influenced the results.