Title |
Facing depression with botulinum toxin: A randomized controlled trial
|
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Published in |
Journal of Psychiatric Research, February 2012
|
DOI | 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.01.027 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
M. Axel Wollmer, Claas de Boer, Nadeem Kalak, Johannes Beck, Thomas Götz, Tina Schmidt, Muris Hodzic, Ursula Bayer, Thilo Kollmann, Katja Kollewe, Daniela Sönmez, Katja Duntsch, Martin D. Haug, Manfred Schedlowski, Martin Hatzinger, Dirk Dressler, Serge Brand, Edith Holsboer-Trachsler, Tillmann H.C. Kruger |
Abstract |
Positive effects on mood have been observed in subjects who underwent treatment of glabellar frown lines with botulinum toxin and, in an open case series, depression remitted or improved after such treatment. Using a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial design we assessed botulinum toxin injection to the glabellar region as an adjunctive treatment of major depression. Thirty patients were randomly assigned to a verum (onabotulinumtoxinA, n = 15) or placebo (saline, n = 15) group. The primary end point was change in the 17-item version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale six weeks after treatment compared to baseline. The verum and the placebo groups did not differ significantly in any of the collected baseline characteristics. Throughout the sixteen-week follow-up period there was a significant improvement in depressive symptoms in the verum group compared to the placebo group as measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (F((6,168)) = 5.76, p < 0.001, η(2) = 0.17). Six weeks after a single treatment scores of onabotulinumtoxinA recipients were reduced on average by 47.1% and by 9.2% in placebo-treated participants (F((1,28)) = 12.30, p = 0.002, η(2) = 0.31, d = 1.28). The effect size was even larger at the end of the study (d = 1.80). Treatment-dependent clinical improvement was also reflected in the Beck Depression Inventory, and in the Clinical Global Impressions Scale. This study shows that a single treatment of the glabellar region with botulinum toxin may shortly accomplish a strong and sustained alleviation of depression in patients, who did not improve sufficiently on previous medication. It supports the concept, that the facial musculature not only expresses, but also regulates mood states. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Japan | 10 | 14% |
United States | 6 | 9% |
United Kingdom | 3 | 4% |
Turkey | 3 | 4% |
Netherlands | 2 | 3% |
Spain | 1 | 1% |
Ethiopia | 1 | 1% |
Italy | 1 | 1% |
Canada | 1 | 1% |
Other | 3 | 4% |
Unknown | 38 | 55% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 54 | 78% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 8 | 12% |
Scientists | 7 | 10% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Germany | 1 | <1% |
Netherlands | 1 | <1% |
France | 1 | <1% |
Australia | 1 | <1% |
United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
Canada | 1 | <1% |
Belgium | 1 | <1% |
United States | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 215 | 96% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 32 | 14% |
Researcher | 30 | 13% |
Student > Master | 30 | 13% |
Student > Bachelor | 23 | 10% |
Other | 21 | 9% |
Other | 49 | 22% |
Unknown | 38 | 17% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 62 | 28% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 57 | 26% |
Neuroscience | 18 | 8% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 17 | 8% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 8 | 4% |
Other | 18 | 8% |
Unknown | 43 | 19% |