Treatment of Depression with Botulinum Toxin A: A Case Series

BACKGROUND Major depression is a common and serious disease that may be resistant to routine pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatment approaches. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin A treatment of glabellar frown lines in treating patients with major depression, using a small open pilot trial. METHODS Patients who met DSM-IV criteria for ongoing major depression in spite of pharmacologic or psychotherapeutic treatment were evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) before receiving botulinum toxin A to their glabellar frown lines. Two months later, all patients were re-evaluated clinically and with the BDI-II. RESULTS Ten depressed patients were treated with botulinum toxin A, and 9 of 10 patients were no longer depressed 2 months after treatment. The tenth patient had an improvement in mood. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, these are the first reported cases of depression treated with botulinum toxin A.