OPEN Foundation

Day: 1 February 2015

Forbidden therapies: Santo Daime, ayahuasca, and the prohibition of entheogens in Western society

February 1, 2015 / Anthropology, Ayahuasca, Ethnobotany, Indigenous use, Papers, Publications, Religious studies, Spirituality / By /

Abstract

Santo Daime, a Brazilian religion organized around a potent psychoactive beverage called ayahuasca, is now being practiced across Europe and North America. Deeming ayahuasca a dangerous “hallucinogen,” most Western governments prosecute people who participate in Santo Daime. On the contrary, members of Santo Daime (called “daimistas”) consider ayahuasca a medicinal sacrament (or “entheogen”). Empirical studies corroborate daimistas’ claim that entheogens are benign and can be beneficial when employed in controlled contexts. Following from anthropology’s goal of rendering different cultural logics as mutually explicable, this article intercedes in a misunderstanding between policies of prohibition and an emergent subculture of entheogenic therapy.

Blainey, M. G. (2015). Forbidden therapies: Santo Daime, ayahuasca, and the prohibition of entheogens in western society. Journal of religion and health, 54(1), 287-302. 10.1007/s10943-014-9826-2
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Preliminary analysis of positive and negative syndrome scale in ketamine-associated psychosis in comparison with schizophrenia

February 1, 2015 / Ketamine, Neuroscience, Papers, Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychopharmacology, Psychosis, Publications / By / , , , , , ,

Abstract

Objective

Studies of the effects of the N-methyl-d–aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist, ketamine, have suggested similarities to the symptoms of schizophrenia. Our primary goal was to evaluate the dimensions of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in ketamine users (acute and chronic) compared to schizophrenia patients (early and chronic stages).

Method

We conducted exploratory factor analysis for the PANSS from four groups: 135 healthy subject administrated ketamine or saline, 187 inpatients of ketamine abuse; 154 inpatients of early course schizophrenia and 522 inpatients of chronic schizophrenia. Principal component factor analyses were conducted to identify the factor structure of the PANSS.

Results

Factor analysis yielded five factors for each group: positive, negative, cognitive, depressed, excitement or dissociation symptoms. The symptom dimensions in two schizophrenia groups were consistent with the established five-factor model (Wallwork et al., 2012). The factor structures across four groups were similar, with 19 of 30 symptoms loading on the same factor in at least 3 of 4 groups. The factors in the chronic ketamine group were more similar to the factors in the two schizophrenia groups rather than to the factors in the acute ketamine group. Symptom severities were significantly different across the groups (Kruskal–Wallis χ2(4) = 540.6, p < 0.0001). Symptoms in the two ketamine groups were milder than in the two schizophrenia groups (Cohen’s d = 0.7).

Conclusion

Our results provide the evidence of similarity in symptom dimensions between ketamine psychosis and schizophrenia psychosis. The interpretations should be cautious because of potential confounding factors.

Xu, K., Krystal, J. H., Ning, Y., He, H., Wang, D., Ke, X., … & Fan, N. (2015). Preliminary analysis of positive and negative syndrome scale in ketamine-associated psychosis in comparison with schizophrenia. Journal of psychiatric research, 61, 64-72. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.12.012
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Antidepressant actions of ketamine: from molecular mechanisms to clinical practice

February 1, 2015 / Depression, Ketamine, Neuroscience, Papers, Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychopharmacology, Publications / By / ,

Abstract

In the past decade the emergence of glutamate N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blockers such as ketamine as fast-acting antidepressants fostered a major conceptual advance by demonstrating the possibility of a rapid antidepressant response. This discovery brings unique mechanistic insight into antidepressant action, as there is a substantial amount of basic knowledge on glutamatergic neurotransmission and how blockade of NMDA receptors may elicit plasticity. The combination of this basic knowledge base and the growing clinical findings will facilitate the development of novel fast acting antidepressants.

Monteggia, L. M., & Zarate, C. (2015). Antidepressant actions of ketamine: from molecular mechanisms to clinical practice. Current opinion in neurobiology, 30, 139-143. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.conb.2014.12.004
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30 April - Q&A with Rick Strassman

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