“ Concerns have previously been raised that serotonergic antidepressants might increase the risk of bleeding in the brain or complicate early recovery after traumatic brain injury. However, our study found no evidence to support those concerns.”
Antidepressant Use Does Not Worsen Early Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury
“ Concerns have previously been raised that serotonergic antidepressants might increase the risk of bleeding in the brain or complicate early recovery after traumatic brain injury. However, our study found no evidence to support those concerns.”
Jussi P. Posti, MD, PhD
Taking certain antidepressants at the time of a traumatic brain injury( TBI) is not associated with an increased risk of death, brain surgery or longer hospital stays, according to a study published in Neurology ®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
For the study, researchers looked at serotonergic antidepressants, which treat anxiety and depression by increasing serotonin activity in the brain. These included selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors( SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors( SNRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants( TCAs).
“ Concerns have previously been raised that serotonergic antidepressants might increase the risk of bleeding in the brain or complicate early recovery after traumatic brain injury. However, our study found no evidence to support those concerns.” Jussi P. Posti, MD, PhD, study author, University of Turku, Finland
Researchers reviewed national prescription records for preinjury antidepressant use and medical records to determine how many people died within a month, whether they needed emergency brain surgery, and how long they stayed in the hospital.
After adjusting for factors such as age, sex and other health conditions, researchers found people taking antidepressants before injury were no more likely to die within a month than those not taking them.
Antidepressant users were slightly less likely to require emergency brain surgery to relieve pressure or bleeding in the brain and prevent further damage.
“ These findings provide reassurance for people who take antidepressants that antidepressant use does not appear to worsen early recovery after traumatic brain injury,” said Posti.“ Future studies should examine whether these results hold true for long-term recovery and across different health care settings.” g
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