Iris Cole interviews Dr. Oren Tana about depression and its treatment / Walla system
According to a new study, the use of antidepressants, especially fluoxetine, may affect the development of the prefrontal cortex of the baby's brain, which may increase the risk of mental health disorders later in life.
Fluoxetine, available under the brand names Prozac and Sarafem, is an antidepressant prescribed for various conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, bulimia nervosa, eating disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and bipolar depression.
The drug works by increasing serotonin levels in the brain, a natural mood stabilizer whose deficiency is associated with mental health disorders.
The researchers of the latest study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus evaluated the effect of fluoxetine use during pregnancy on the developing prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain associated with cognitive functions and controls, among other things, stress, thoughts, actions and emotions.
The study was conducted in animals.
Ultrasound of a baby inside the womb/ShutterStock
"Although it is known that serotonin plays a role in brain development, the mechanisms responsible for this effect, especially in the prefrontal cortex, were not clear. The prefrontal cortex, the most developed brain region, plays a central role in cognition, so we focused our research on finding the answer from this brain region. ", said the study's lead author Wen Chen Ho.
For the purpose of the study, the researchers examined how the lack and excess of serotonin affected brain development in mice.
They then observed that serotonin's involvement extends beyond overall brain function.
It significantly affects the dynamics of individual connections between neurons, and plays a significant role in improving the brain's ability to learn and adapt.
The researchers not only noted the drug's ability to cross the placenta but also discovered that it can enter breast milk.
"Our study reveals the specific processes that explain how serotonin contributes to the development of this important brain region during early fluoxetine exposure. We are the first to provide experimental evidence of serotonin's direct effect on the developing prefrontal cortex," Hu added.
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"In the new study, we observed for the first time in animals what are the unwanted changes that can happen due to the mechanism of action of a popular drug that is taken by thousands of women on a regular basis, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Many studies in the past tested the same drugs during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but in this study they showed for the first time what the lack of serotonin can do to the brain What is developing and what are the potential consequences for the rest of life," explains Lavalle!
Dr. Eitan Levits, specialist in Pirion gynecology, certified in advanced medical aesthetics, director of doctors in the Beer Sheva Ha'ir area, Maccabi Health Services
. The rich clinical experience and previous studies in which very few disorders related to the treatment were found, but to help the research community and doctors better understand the mechanism by which there could be a possible injury and based on which to understand what the symptoms could be as a result of this in the clinical aspect," explains Dr. Levits.
"It is important to know that most medications are permitted during pregnancy. Very few treatments are not approved and almost everything crosses the placenta from the mother to the fetus in one concentration or another. However, the questions to be asked when deciding on drug treatment during pregnancy should be aimed at whether the treatment can cause harm to the fetus? Is it necessary?
Studies of this type are important for understanding the problem and the diagnosis when required, but nevertheless, the tremendous clinical experience that exists in the field is also a safety mechanism."
More on the same topic:
Antidepressants
depression
pregnancy