Study Botox is supposed to help against depression

Botox injections should not only smooth wrinkles but also relieve mental illness

27/02/2012

It sounds almost a bit of a paradox: Botox injections in particular, which are generally associated more with cosmetic corrections and exaggerated beauty ideals, are also supposed to help the psyche in depression. This was discovered by scientists from Hanover and Basel.

By Botox symptoms went back by at least half
30 subjects participated in the study, the results of which were recently published in the journal „Journal of Psychiatric Research“ were published. The participants in the study were persons with diagnosed depression, against whom antidepressants did not show the desired effect. One half of the subjects received injections of Botox (botulinum toxin), the other group received a placebo injection.

Already after two weeks the patients from the Botox group showed clearly reduced symptoms. After another four weeks, the severity of the symptoms had been reduced by at least half in 60 percent of the participants. Significant improvements continued to occur until the end of the study after 16 weeks, while the placebo group as a whole showed only minor success, as reported by the Hannover Medical School (MHH).

A big advantage of the treatment with Botox lies on the one hand in the effect, which with only one syringe over several weeks and on the other hand in the small side effects, reported Prof. Tillmann Krüger of the MHH clinic for psychiatry, social psychiatry and psychotherapy. „Botulinum toxin could become a new ingredient in the treatment of depression“, explained the psychiatrist. However, further studies are needed before the treatment method can be used in everyday medical practice. It is particularly important to find out how exactly and under what conditions Botox can relieve depression. Botox has been used for many years for the treatment of neuromuscular disorders, such as eyelid cramps.

Botox is also said to relieve migraine
Some studies had suggested that Botox could be used as an effective remedy for migraine. The drug has already been approved for the treatment of migraine attacks in the United States and the United Kingdom. In Germany too, a corresponding authorization procedure was applied for at the drug regulatory agency last year.

In examinations it was observed that injections in the head and neck of the patient led to a significant improvement in his symptoms. The results of two „PREEMPT studies“ (Phase III Research Evaluating Migraine Prophylaxis Therapy) showed that Botox injections reduced pain by more than half. In addition, the subjects would have had to take less conventional headache tablets during Botox therapy.

However, experts doubt whether the neurotoxin Botox (botulinum toxin) actually alleviates the symptoms and reduces the occurrence of chronic migraine. The publishers of the „Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin“ confronted the UK Food and Drug Administration with the allegation of having licensed the expensive neurotoxin, although the available data are still insufficient. According to the experts, the symptoms of one in ten patients would even get worse with Botox therapy. In about ten percent of cases, side effects such as severe itching, rashes, stiff neck and cramps would also occur. In rare cases, anaphylactic shock could even result, which can lead to failure of the organs due to an overreaction of the immune system and can be life-threatening. (Ag)

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