SAN DIEGO, Feb 12 ― The pandemic has had multiple repercussions on the physical and mental health of people around the world, notably leading to a rise in symptoms of depression and anxiety. This phenomenon has led scientists to look further into the subject in a bid to find effective responses. And some of their findings have certainly proved unexpected. According to a recent study, Botox could be a new ally to take into account when it comes to reducing anxiety.
The results of this study could raise a smile, but the findings are serious science. A team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego, investigated the potential benefits of Botox, or botulinum toxin, on mental health. They studied the Food and Drug Administration's adverse event database of nearly 40,000 people who had received Botox treatment for cosmetic or medical purposes, to reduce wrinkles, migraines or muscle spasms.
Their findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, are surprising, to say the least. They found that the reported anxiety risk was between 22 per cent and 72 per cent lower in patients treated with Botox than in those who did not receive such injections. This was true for half of the conditions and injection sites studied: facial muscles for cosmetic use, facial and head muscles for migraine, upper and lower extremities for spasms, and neck muscles for treatment of torticollis.
At this stage, the researchers consider that botulinum toxins could reach the regions of the central nervous system involved in mood and emotion, thus impacting mental health. But they also believe that relieving migraines or spasms ― chronic conditions that can generate anxiety ― is likely to play a role in mental health.
Given the lack of data on the subject, the scientists now intend to continue their research to determine the mechanism by which Botox could reduce anxiety. ― ETX Studio
