Prozac Helps Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the myelin coating around nerves. Multiple sclerosis symptoms are extremely variable and range from mild to debilitating. In the relapsing remitting form, new symptoms occur in discrete attacks. Multiple Sclerosis is poorly understood and difficult to treat. Multiple sclerosis research from University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands has shown that a commonly prescribed antidepressant medication Prozac ( fluoxetine ) may be helpful in slowing the progress of the disease.
Researchers conducted a double-blind, controlled, study involving 40 patients with the relapsing remitting form of MS. For a period of 6 months, half of the received Prozac while the other half received a placebo. To measure the activity of Prozac on multiple sclerosis symptoms, detailed magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the participants’ brains were completed every four weeks. The scientists looked at inflammation in the brain MRI scans that would indicate MS lesions that were active.
The important results were that the multiple sclerosis patients who received Prozac had fewer new areas of inflammation than those who received a placebo. The scientists saw the effects in eight weeks. Eight weeks is about the same amount of time that is required for Prozac to have its full impact on depression symptoms.
Specifically, the multiple sclerosis patients given placebo had an average of over five new areas affected with inflammation compared to just less than two areas in the Prozac group. 25% of MRI studies from Prozac-treated patients and 40% of placebo-treated patients had new areas of brain inflammation. Almost two thirds of multiple sclerosis patients in the Prozac group had no new brain inflammation areas during the last 16 weeks of treatment, whereas only about 25% of patients in the placebo group had no new areas.
Although this was a small-scale study and a larger sample size is required to increase the robustness of results, the authors conclude that, The initial trial were sufficiently positive to warrant additional studies with fluoxetine as a multiple sclerosis therapy. Bigger doses of fluoxetine and combination treatment with other drugs will be considered as possible multiple sclerosis treatments.
ref: http://press.psprings.co.uk/jnnp/april/jn139345.pdf
