DOES AYAHUASCA MODULATE RESILIENCE? AN EVALUATION IN PRIMATE MODEL OF MAJOR DEPRESSION
ayahuasca; resilience, Callithrix jacchus, depression model
Major depression is the psychopathology that most causes disability in the world, and there is still no completely effective treatment for it. In the search for new treatment alternatives, studies with psychedelic substances are gaining prominence, one of which is ayahuasca. Considering that from an economic, social and psychological point of view, treating depression is more expensive than preventing it, this study sought to evaluate the possible prophylactic effects of chronic use of ayahuasca tea against a major depression protocol, social isolation, using a primate model of juvenile depression, C. jacchus. Therefore, physiological (fecal cortisol and body weight) and behavioral assessments were performed. 16 juvenile males who lived in family groups were used, which were randomly divided into 3 groups: family group, who remained with the family throughout the study (12 weeks); isolated group, animals that were socially isolated for 12 weeks and did not receive treatment and the ayahuasca group, which were socially isolated for 12 weeks and received 4 doses of ayahuasca; one dose before separation and three doses during isolation, one per month. It was observed that animals isolated and treated with ayahuasca showed a more adaptive stress response than animals that did not receive treatment, as they presented lower levels of anhedonia, scratching, scent marking and locomotion, these being, indicators of chronic stress. On the other hand, animals treated with ayahuasca (GA) showed greater individual piloerection, an indicator of acute stress. From these preliminary results it is already possible to perceive positive and prophylactic effects of chronic treatment with ayahuasca on the behavioral response of juvenile animals in the face of a stressor. Since the treatment seems to have generated a protection or buffer against the incidence of depressive behaviors, the consequence that can be interpreted as an increase in resilience