Antidepressant effects of facial botulinum toxin a injections: Insights from randomized controlled trials.
J Affect DisordAug 30, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchPsychiatry
Zhengyu Gao, Xiaoqin Chen, Xiaoming Yu et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of facial Botulinum toxin A (BoNT/A) injections in treating depressive disorders, involving 636 participants across eight randomized controlled trials. The study found a significant reduction in depressive symptoms with BoNT/A compared to control conditions (SMD = -0.81; p < 0.001), indicating its potential as a non-systemic treatment alternative.
Key findings
- Facial BoNT/A injection significantly reduced depressive symptoms compared to control (SMD = -0.81; p < 0.001).
- BoNT/A was superior to placebo with an SMD of -1.04.
- Efficacy of BoNT/A was comparable to sertraline (SMD = -0.23).
- Overall adverse event rates were similar to controls (RR = 1.04).
Why it matters
The findings suggest that facial BoNT/A injections could serve as an effective treatment for depression, particularly for patients who experience intolerable side effects from oral antidepressants or are managing multiple medications.