Okay, let’s get this out of the way: Botox manifesto

If I see one more headline about this Botox-curing-depression miracle, I’m going to scream. The way the media has picked up on this, you’d think the NIMH had funded a major multipart study over the course of three generations. In fact, scientific evidence to substantiate this claim—a claim, BTW, that will make the doctor who initiated the study very rich)—is slim. Very slim.

Here’s what happened: Cosmetic surgeon Eric Finzi noticed his patients were reporting improved mood after getting Botox. Okay, fair enough. They look better and feel better. Not much news there. But Finzi became convinced that there was a connection between Botox and depression, despite the fact that fixing a frown has nothing to do with brain disorders. So he did a “pilot” study (often as futile as pilot TV shows) with 10 people. Let me spell that out: Ten.

Nine of the 10 people found that the treatment lifted their depression. He has since expanded the study to 15 people, with similar positive results. So why am I being so snarky? I guess I’m frustrated by the media response, which tends to substantiate such claims by virtue of the amount of coverage they get. I’d hate for depressed women to start flocking to plastic surgeons in hopes that their depression will be erased along with their frown lines. Plastic surgeons are not trained to deal with psychiatric problems. If you’re depressed you should seek help from a psychiatrist or psychologist.

Some articles are trumpeting Botox’s other uses, such as treating muscle spasms in stroke victims and people with Parkinson’s disease. ABC News says: “It may even help fight cancer.” Botox—the wonder drug!

I caution careful consideration before coming to conclusions. (That’s Spikol’s Five C’s.) Cuidado!

liz | 10:11 AM | Uncategorized