Botulinum Toxin And Depression

Depression And Botulinum Toxin

Major Depressive Disorder

Depression And Botulinum Toxin – Major depressive disorder is one of the most common disorders, which causes global burden. Highly prevalent mental disorder ranging from 6-18% across different countries.  WHO estimated that more than 350 million people suffer from depression.

Symptoms Of Depression

Low mood, decreased interest, decreased motivation, appetite and sleep disturbance, psychomotor agitation or retardation, cognitive impairment and suicidal thought.

Treatments Available For Depression

Antidepressant drugs –  50% patients are not responsive to antidepressant drugs

Antidepressant medication causes side effects- weight gain, increased risk of diabetes and sexual dysfunction.

Congnitive behavioral therapy – Have only moderate therapeutic effect on depression.

Newer treatment – Botox injection.

What Is Botox And It’s Uses ?

Botox are botulinum neurotoxins produced by clostridium botulinum bacteria. It acts by inhibition of acetylcholine release from the presynaptic nerve terminals thus reducing the activity of muscle fibres.

It is used in dystonia, spacticity, hyperhidrosis, wrinkles, gummy smile, blepharospasm, trigeminal neuralgia and migraine.

How does botox help in depression?

A series of clinical studies have shown that botox can treat major depression.

1. Botox has mood lifting effects in depressed patients by making facial expression of emotiom less negative.
2. Peripheral injection of botox reduces depression by insular cortex modification,  up-regulation of brain derived neurotrophic factors, increasing 5-HT levels and dampening neuroinflammation
3. According to recent studies various scales ( Beck Depression inventory 2, montogomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale and Hamilton depression Scale) are applied for clinical evaluation of depression after botox injection which showed remission rate more than 50%.

Botulinum Toxin Treatment Procedure

At our dermatology clinic where we will evaluate skin and depression. Botox is a simple office procedure which helps you in giving youthful look and also helps in reducing your depression which makes you more confident.

To know more about Botulinum Toxin (Botox) please contact Dr. Walia’s Skin, Laser and Hair Transplant Clinic, Mohali and Zirakpur.