Ayahuasca Mitigates Morphological Cortical Alterations in Juvenile Non-human Primates Following Chronic Stress Exposure
Research Square March 5, 2025 Expedito Do Nascimento Júnior, Luiz Pereira, Wigínio Lira-Bandeira et al.
Chronic stress during adolescence can shrink neurons in the brain's somatosensory cortex, a region involved in depression. In a study of juvenile monkeys, those isolated to induce chronic stress had significantly smaller neurons than those living in a family group. However, monkeys given the traditional psychoactive brew ayahuasca before and during isolation had neuron volumes similar to the family group, suggesting the brew may protect against stress-induced cortical atrophy. Trends also hinted at preserved cortical structure in the ayahuasca-treated group, though differences in neuron density and overall cortical volume were not statistically confirmed. The findings point to ayahuasca's potential to mitigate stress-related brain changes and support further research into its therapeutic use for adolescent depression.