Assessing Significant (>30%) Alopecia as a Possible Biomarker for Stress in Captive Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca Mulatta)

March 2016 in “ American Journal of Primatology ”

Melinda A. Novak, Mark T. Menard, Saif N. El‐Mallah, Kendra Rosenberg, Corrine K. Lutz, Julie M. Worlein, Kris Coleman, Jerrold S. Meyer

alopecia cortisol chronic cortisol levels hair loss hair gain rhesus macaques Macaca mulatta

TLDR In female rhesus monkeys, hair gain is linked to reduced stress levels.

The study investigated the relationship between stress and hair loss in 198 rhesus macaques, finding that significant alopecia (>30% hair loss) was linked to increased chronic cortisol levels, indicating stress. The research involved two sampling periods, approximately 8 months apart, with 142 monkeys. It was observed that monkeys gaining hair showed a significant reduction in cortisol levels, but this was only significant in females. The study found that coat condition remained relatively stable, with only 25 monkeys showing significant hair gain, 20 remaining alopecic, and 97 retaining full hair. Hair cortisol levels were consistent across samples for monkeys that maintained their hair status.

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Assessing Significant (>30%) Alopecia as a Possible Biomarker for Stress in Captive Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca Mulatta)

Research cited in this study

research Hair Loss And Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical Axis Activity In Captive Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta)

research Extraction and Analysis of Cortisol from Human and Monkey Hair

research Extraction and Analysis of Cortisol from Human and Monkey Hair

research Alopecia in Three Macaque Species Housed in a Laboratory Environment

research Heat Treatment Increases the Incidence of Alopecia Areata in the C3H/HeJ Mouse Model

research Alopecia in Rhesus Macaques Correlates with Immunophenotypic Alterations in Dermal Inflammatory Infiltrates Consistent with Hypersensitivity Etiology

research Hair Analysis Provides A Historical Record Of Cortisol Levels In Cushing's Syndrome

research Alopecia: Possible Causes and Treatments, Particularly in Captive Nonhuman Primates

research Hair as a Retrospective Calendar of Cortisol Production—Increased Cortisol Incorporation into Hair in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

research Cortisol Determination in Hair and Feces from Domestic Cats and Dogs

research Foot Shock Stress Prolongs the Telogen Stage of the Spontaneous Hair Cycle in a Non-Depilated Mouse Model

research Coat Condition, Housing Condition, And Measurement Of Fecal Cortisol Metabolites: A Non-Invasive Study About Alopecia In Captive Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta)

research Seasonal and Social Correlates of Changes in Hair, Skin, and Scrotal Condition in Vervet Monkeys (Cercopithecus Aethiops) of Amboseli National Park, Kenya

research Zinc Deficiency in Rhesus and Bonnet Monkeys, Including Effects on Reproduction

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