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A Single Dose Of Ayahuasca Modulates Salivary Cortisol In Treatment-Resistant Depression

View ORCID ProfileAna Cecília de Menezes Galvão, Raíssa Nóbrega de Almeida, Erick Allan dos Santos Silva, Fúlvio Aurélio de Morais Freire, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, Heloisa Onias, Emerson Arcoverdee, João Paulo Maia-de-Oliveira, Draúlio B Araújo, Bruno Lobão-Soares, Nicole Leite Galvão-Coelho
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/257238
Ana Cecília de Menezes Galvão
aLaboratory of Hormone Measurement, Departament of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
bPostgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
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  • ORCID record for Ana Cecília de Menezes Galvão
Raíssa Nóbrega de Almeida
aLaboratory of Hormone Measurement, Departament of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
bPostgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
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Erick Allan dos Santos Silva
aLaboratory of Hormone Measurement, Departament of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
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Fúlvio Aurélio de Morais Freire
bPostgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
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Fernanda Palhano-Fontes
dBrain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
eOnofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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Heloisa Onias
dBrain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
eOnofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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Emerson Arcoverdee
eOnofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
gDepartament of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
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João Paulo Maia-de-Oliveira
cNational Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine, Natal, RN, Brazil
eOnofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
gDepartament of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
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Draúlio B Araújo
dBrain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
eOnofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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Bruno Lobão-Soares
cNational Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine, Natal, RN, Brazil
fDepartament of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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Nicole Leite Galvão-Coelho
aLaboratory of Hormone Measurement, Departament of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
bPostgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
cNational Institute of Science and Technology in Translational Medicine, Natal, RN, Brazil
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ABSTRACT

Major depression is a highly prevalent mood disorder, affecting about 350 million people, and around 30% of the patients are resistant to currently available antidepressant medications. Recent evidence from a randomized placebo-controlled trial supports the rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of ayahuasca on plasma cortisol and awakening salivary cortisol response, in the same group of treatment-resistant patients and in healthy volunteers. Subjects received a single dose of ayahuasca or placebo, and both plasma and awakening salivary cortisol response were measured at baseline (before dosing) and 48h after the dosing session. Baseline assessment (D0) showed blunted awakening salivary cortisol response and hypocortisolemia in patients (DM), both with respect to healthy controls group (C). Salivary cortisol also was measured during dosing session and we observed a large increased for both C and DM that ingested ayahuasca, than placebo groups. After 48h of the dosing session (D2) with ayahuasca, awakening salivary cortisol response (for both sexes) of treated patients became similar to levels detected in controls. This was not observed in patients that ingested placebo. No changes in plasma cortisol were observed after 48 hours of ayahuasca or placebo ingestion for both groups and sexes. Therefore, these findings point to new evidence of modulation of ayahuasca on salivary cortisol levels, as cortisol acts in regulation of distinct physiological pathways, emotional and cognitive processes related to etiology of depression, this modulation could be an important part of the antidepressant effects observed with ayahuasca. Moreover, this study highlights the importance of psychedelics in the treatment of human mental disorders.

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Posted January 31, 2018.
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A Single Dose Of Ayahuasca Modulates Salivary Cortisol In Treatment-Resistant Depression
Ana Cecília de Menezes Galvão, Raíssa Nóbrega de Almeida, Erick Allan dos Santos Silva, Fúlvio Aurélio de Morais Freire, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, Heloisa Onias, Emerson Arcoverdee, João Paulo Maia-de-Oliveira, Draúlio B Araújo, Bruno Lobão-Soares, Nicole Leite Galvão-Coelho
bioRxiv 257238; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/257238
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A Single Dose Of Ayahuasca Modulates Salivary Cortisol In Treatment-Resistant Depression
Ana Cecília de Menezes Galvão, Raíssa Nóbrega de Almeida, Erick Allan dos Santos Silva, Fúlvio Aurélio de Morais Freire, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, Heloisa Onias, Emerson Arcoverdee, João Paulo Maia-de-Oliveira, Draúlio B Araújo, Bruno Lobão-Soares, Nicole Leite Galvão-Coelho
bioRxiv 257238; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/257238

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