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Review
. 2024 Dec 17;12(12):2615.
doi: 10.3390/microorganisms12122615.

Depression Treatment: Is There a Role for Botulinum Toxin Type A?

Carmen Rodríguez-Cerdeira  1   2   3 , Westley Eckhardt  1
Affiliations
Review

Depression Treatment: Is There a Role for Botulinum Toxin Type A?

Carmen Rodríguez-Cerdeira et al. Microorganisms. .

Abstract

This study aimed to determine whether botulinum toxin type A injected into the muscles of the upper third of the face has antidepressant effects in patients diagnosed with depression. Studies seeking a relationship between botulinum toxin type A and its antidepressant effects were considered in this review. All studies concluded that the facial expression muscles present positive feedback to the brain and enhance mood states. Botulinum toxin when applied to the corrugator and procerus muscles has an antidepressant effect.

Keywords: antidepressant; botulinum toxin type A; depression; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A positive feedback loop exists between facial expression muscles and the brain. When specific muscles contract to express sadness, the brain interprets this information as true sadness and reinforces this feeling in the person.
Figure 2
Figure 2
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for new systematic reviews, which include searches of databases and registers.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Botulinum toxin A injection schema. The numbers refer to the injected BoNT/A units in women. The numbers are units on injection sites in women.
Figure 4
Figure 4
A schematic diagram of BoNT/A injection sites. The occipital frontalis, corrugator, and depressor muscles each received 10 injections, and the bilateral lateral canthus and temporal regions each received 5 injections. A total of 20 sites and 5 units or 2.5 units per site were applied (total 50 or 100 units). The * marks the injection sites in women.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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