Brain Imaging in Acne Patients Treated with Isotretinoin
Title: Functional brain imaging alterations
in acne patients treated with isotretinoin
Authors: Bremner JD, et al.
Publication: Am J Psychiatry. 2005 May;162(5):983-91.
To pursue the possible link between isotretinoin and depression,
the authors measured the brain functioning in adults using positron
emission tomography (PET) scan, before and 4 months after isotretinoin
or antibiotic treatments. They found that patients treated with
isotretinoin have decreased brain metabolism in the orbitofrontal
cortext, an area of the brain known to mediate the symptoms of
depression. The patients treated with antibiotics have no such
change in brain function. However, there is no difference in the
severity of depression between the patients who were given isotretinoin
and antibiotic treatment.
