Research Now Suggests Antidepressants Reduce Empathy in Pain Sufferers

(Newswire.net — September 14, 2021) Orlando, FL — The use of depression-fighting medications is widespread nowadays, and this is due to the fact that this mental health issue is highly prevalent. 

Researchers have been carrying out studies to look into the various beneficial and disadvantageous effects of these medications.

One was published in Translational Psychiatry, which is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by Nature Publishing Group. 

It was a result of an interdisciplinary collaboration of social neuroscientists, neuroimaging experts, and psychiatrists from the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna.

It has been found that antidepressant treatment can result in an impairment in empathy regarding the perception of pain, and not just the state of depression itself.

In this study, the investigators recruited un-medicated patients with acute depression. They were also tested for their empathic responses to the pain of others on two occasions. The first time was during an acute depressive episode and the second was after three months of psychopharmacological treatment with antidepressants.

The subjects were made to undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in both sessions. This was done while they watched videos of people undergoing painful medical procedures.

Three months following an antidepressant treatment, the investigators found that the patients reported reductions in their level of empathy. There was also a decrease in brain activation in areas previously associated with empathy.

More studies are still being encouraged to learn more about the effects of antidepressants. It is worth realizing that this type of medication can also produce side effects, like the increased risk of violence and suicidal thoughts.

This is why some experts strongly recommend resorting to some helpful measures in potentially fighting this condition. There are actually antidepressant nutrients like B vitamins, which have been particularly helpful for the brain. 

It is worth noting that according to researchers, B vitamins play a significant role in helping the brain manufacture sufficient levels of chemicals essential in mood management.

Experts suggest that insufficient levels of B vitamins like B12 may increase the odds of depression. They also stress that deficiencies in B vitamins are common in individuals with depression. 

Vitamin B3 is found to be helpful in the production of serotonin inside the body. This is vital as these brain neurotransmitters aid with the communication between brain cells. 

It is also important to remember that individuals suffering from depression tend to have low serotonin levels. 

Today, there are quite a number of remedies recommended by researchers for depression. To experience the depression-fighting effects of these nutrients, it may be helpful to resort to the use of Purest Vantage Vitamin B Complex.

It contains Choline, Pantothenic acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Niacin, Riboflavin, Thiamin, and vitamin B6 (amazon.com/Vitamin-B-Complex-90-Capsules/dp/B0773N3MFK ).