People who received Botox (botulinum toxin) injections for certain conditions reported less depression less often compared to patients who did not receive the injections for similar diagnoses, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.
“For years, doctors have observed that Botox injected for cosmetic reasons appears to ease depression in their patients,” Ruben Abagyan, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacy and one of the study’s leading researchers, said in a statement.
“It has been thought that smoothing out severe wrinkles in the forehead region interrupts a feedback loop that reinforces negative emotions. But we have found here that the mechanism can be more complex because it really doesn’t matter where the Botox is injected,” said the author in a press release.
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The research team at the Skaggs College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, San Diego reviewed the database of the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Adverse Effects Reporting System (FAERS) To see the side effects reported by nearly 40,000 people who received Botox Injections for various reasons, according to a university press release.
Treatments were not just on the forehead but included several different sites, including the neck, extremities, and forehead. The statement indicated that the researchers used an algorithm to find significant statistical differences between patients who used Botox and those who did not for the same problem.
Treatments were not just on the forehead, but included several different sites, such as the neck, limbs, and forehead. (iStock)
The researchers found that Botox users reported that depression was 40 to 88 percent less frequent in six of the eight injection sites and conditions, according to the statement.
“This finding is exciting because it supports a new treatment to affect mood and combat depression, one of the common and dangerous mental illnesses, and is based on a wealth of statistical data, rather than limited-scale observations.” Tigran Makunts, PharmD, one of the researchers in the study, stated in the statement.
According to the study, more research is needed to determine how Botox potentially acts as an antidepressant. Researchers have some theories that need further investigation. For example, Botox is absorbed systemically in the central nervous system, which is involved in mood or emotions, the hypothesis raised, or Botox possibly indirectly affects a person’s depression because Botox helped alleviate a chronic condition. underlying that may have been a contributing factor to the disease. patient depression
Health experts say Botox is commonly used not only for cosmetic reasons, such as fighting wrinkles, but also for muscle spasms, tight muscles, migraines, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, as well as other conditions such as excessive sweating and conditions of the bladder.
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According to the press release, the FAERS data used in this study was not collected exclusively for the purpose of investigating the link between Botox and depression. The data represents only a subgroup of Botox users who reported experiencing negative side effects. The authors note that they excluded data from patients taking antidepressants; however, in some cases, medication use may not have been reported.
The statement indicated that there is an ongoing clinical trial that directly investigates Botox treatment for people with depression, but only tests injection sites in the forehead. The authors said that additional clinical trials are needed to investigate which site is better to inject specifically to treat depression.
According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that more than 264 million people worldwide experience depression.
