Comparing ayahuasca and esketamine effects on women's body perception
Official title: Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca or Esketamine on Body Image Perception in Women: a Randomized, Double-blind Study
Run by University of Sao Paulo · NCT07317219 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This will test whether a single oral dose of ayahuasca or esketamine changes how healthy women perceive their bodies.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | Women only |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Sao Paulo Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | December 20, 2025 |
| Main results expected | June 2026 |
| Study ends | July 2026 |
| Registry record updated | January 5, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07317219 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Healthy adult women without psychiatric or significant medical conditions who can travel to and attend in-person sessions at the study site are the intended participants.
✕Probably not a fit
People with psychiatric or other medical comorbidities, men, pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, or those unwilling to receive psychoactive treatments are unlikely to benefit from participating.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a double-blind, randomized trial that gives a single oral dose of either ayahuasca or esketamine to healthy female volunteers and compares changes in body-image perception. Participants are screened to exclude psychiatric and other medical comorbidities and are monitored at Hospital das Clínicas da FMRP-USP in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. Outcomes will focus on perceptual and self-report measures of body image collected before and after dosing to capture acute effects. The design aims to isolate drug-specific effects on body perception while minimizing confounding from underlying illness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could reveal rapid-acting ways to alter body perception and inform new approaches for treating body-image disturbances.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows ketamine and classical psychedelics can rapidly change perception and mood, but direct randomized comparisons of ayahuasca and esketamine on body-image perception are novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * healthy volunteers Exclusion Criteria: * psychiatric and other medical comorbidities
Where it's running
-
Hospital das Clínicas da FMRP-USP
Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil Recruiting
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.