Botox to Treat Depression? New Study Says It's No Joke
Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 02, 2014 -- In the largest randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study to date on the effect of OnabotulinumtoxinA (known as Botox) on depression, researchers found that more than half of subjects suffering from moderate to severe depression showed a substantial improvement (greater than or equal to 50% of baseline) in their depressive symptoms as measured by the MADRS scale. The study showed that Botox may help relieve depressive symptoms both as a stand-alone and an adjunctive treatment.
The study “Treatment of depression with onabotulinumtoxinA: A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial” conducted by Dr. Eric Finzi, MD, PhD and Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, MD, published in the May 2014 Journal of Psychiatric Research, included 74 depressed subjects injected with a single treatment of either onabotulinumtoxinA (OBA) or a placebo to the corrugator and procerus muscles between the eyebrows. Results showed that depressive symptoms (as assessed by the MADRS scale) in the OBA treatment group decreased 47 percent after six weeks, compared to 21 percent in the placebo group. This study is the first to show a significant difference in remission rate with OBA in depressed patients (27% OBA vs. 7% placebo).
Study co-author, Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown Medical School, commented, “This research is groundbreaking because it offers those who suffer from depression and their doctors an entirely new approach to treating the condition - one that doesn’t conflict with any other treatments.”
“This new research supports earlier facial feedback theory of Charles Darwin and William James which suggests that facial expressions influence mood,” added Dr. Eric Finzi, Dermasurgeon and co- author on the paper that first reported that inhibition of frowning by facial injection of OBA could help depressed patients in a pilot study published by the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery in May 2006.
To learn more about the researchers, study findings, and newsroom, go to:
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Notes for editors
Treatment of depression with onabotulinumtoxinA: A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial is published in Journal of Psychiatric Research, Volume 52 (May 2014). DOI: published by Elsevier.
Full text of the article is available to credentialed journalists upon request; contact newsroom(at)elsevier(dot)com.
Journalists interested in interviewing the co-authors and/or a study patient, contact:
Michelle Delino
contact(at)michelledelinomedia(dot)com.
Media: contact(at)michelledelinomedia(dot)com
BotoxForDepression.com
About The Journal of Psychiatric Research
Journal of Psychiatric Research, founded in 1961, is an international journal with editorial offices in Germany and the United States. It is dedicated to reporting innovative and timely studies in psychiatry and cognate disciplines.
About Elsevier, the Publisher of the Study Paper
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals. A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group, PLC, a world leading provider of professional information solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal and Risk and Business sectors.
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Michelle Delino, Michelle Delino Media, LLC, http://www.BotoxForDepression.com, +1 202-486-7622, [email protected]
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