Researchers at Basel University Hospital working with collegues at Hanover’s school of Medicine in Germany say they’ve found another use for the toxin that’s traditionally used in cosmetic procedures.

Injecting the Botox toxin into a specific part of the brain has been found to quickly, significantly and sustainably improve symptoms of depression, according to researchers.

The Basel University Hospital has just published the results of their findings in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

A group of 30 patients was tested who had suffered depresison over a prolonged period and whose symptoms had not been sufficiently improved with anti-depressant medication.

Half were given the injection and half were given a placebo.

Researchers claim that the 15 who had received the real thing felt up to 60 percent  better after six weeks, with results improving as time went on.

Professor Tillmann Krüger from the Hannover Medical School said the study was based on a theory that facial expressions can influence moods as well as expressions manifesting how someone is feeling—and that reducing certain facial expressions can break the feedback cycle.

Article source: http://worldradio.ch/wrs/news/wrsnews/botox-injections-to-treat-depression.shtml?29322