Frontiers in Psychology
June 4, 2019
Raíssa Nóbrega de Almeida, Ana Cecília de Menezes Galvão, Flávia Santos Da Silva et al.
173 citations
A single dose of ayahuasca increased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in both healthy controls and patients with treatment-resistant depression 48 hours after ingestion, compared with placebo. Baseline BDNF levels did not predict major depression or clinical characteristics, but lower BDNF was linked to hypocortisolemia. Among patients, only those who received ayahuasca showed a negative correlation between BDNF levels and depressive symptoms at 48 hours. The findings suggest a potential link between ayahuasca's antidepressant effects and changes in BDNF, supporting further investigation into psychedelics for depression.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
July 10, 2020
Nicole Leite Galvão‐coelho, Ana Cecília de Menezes Galvão, Raíssa Nóbrega de Almeida et al.
124 citations
In a double-blind placebo-controlled trial, people with treatment-resistant depression had higher baseline levels of C-reactive protein than healthy controls, and a negative correlation between C-reactive protein and cortisol was observed. Ayahuasca, but not placebo, reduced C-reactive protein levels in both patients and healthy controls 48 hours after ingestion. Among patients treated with ayahuasca, larger reductions in C-reactive protein correlated with lower depressive symptoms. No significant changes were found for interleukin 6 or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and these biomarkers did not predict antidepressant response or remission. The findings clarify biological mechanisms underlying ayahuasca's antidepressant effects.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
May 8, 2018
Ana Cecília de Menezes Galvão, Raíssa Nóbrega de Almeida, Erick Allan Dos Santos Silva et al.
102 citations
In treatment-resistant depression, a single dose of ayahuasca normalizes the blunted awakening salivary cortisol response observed in patients, bringing it to levels similar to those in healthy controls. During the dosing session, both patients and healthy volunteers who received ayahuasca showed higher increases in salivary cortisol than those who received placebo. No significant changes in plasma cortisol were detected 48 hours after dosing. These findings suggest that ayahuasca modulates salivary cortisol, a hormone involved in depression's etiology, and support further investigation into its antidepressant potential.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
December 5, 2022
Geovan Menezes de Sousa, Vagner Deuel de Oliveira Tavares, Ana Cecília de Menezes Galvão et al.
14 citations
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 72 participants, ayahuasca's effects on depression-related biomarkers were examined two days after dosing. Larger reductions in depressive symptoms during the session were linked to higher serum cortisol levels in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Smaller changes in salivary cortisol during ayahuasca use were associated with higher brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in patients who showed greater clinical improvement in depressive symptoms. No moderating effects were found for the cortisol awakening response, interleukin-6, or C-reactive protein in patients, nor for any biomarker in healthy controls or the placebo group. The findings suggest that acute emotional and physiological responses during ayahuasca sessions may influence key biomarkers of depression.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
January 31, 2018
Ana Cecília de Menezes Galvão, Raíssa Nóbrega de Almeida, Erick Allan Dos Santos Silva et al.
5 citations
preprint
In treatment-resistant depression, a single dose of ayahuasca normalizes the blunted awakening salivary cortisol response that is characteristic of the disorder. Patients with major depression showed hypocortisolemia and a diminished cortisol awakening response compared with healthy controls at baseline. During the dosing session, both patients and controls who ingested ayahuasca had a large increase in salivary cortisol relative to placebo groups. Forty-eight hours after ayahuasca, the awakening cortisol response in treated patients became similar to that of controls, an effect not seen with placebo. No changes in plasma cortisol occurred 48 hours after either ayahuasca or placebo. The modulation of salivary cortisol may contribute to ayahuasca's rapid antidepressant effects.