Ayahuasca Impairs Fear Memory Reconsolidation and Promotes Rapid Structural Plasticity in the Hippocampus and Prelimbic Cortex.

An animal study in adult male Wistar rats examined how ayahuasca (60 mg/kg, oral gavage) affects fear memory reconsolidation. The treatment reduced freezing behavior and was accompanied by increased dendritic spine density in the hippocampus and prelimbic cortex, while adult neurogenesis was unchanged. The authors suggest rapid synaptic remodeling underlies the reconsolidation-impairing effect.