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http://www.pharmalot.com/2011/10/rats-on-antidepressants-showed-signs-of-autism/
Yet another study suggests the possibility of a link between antidepressant use and autism. This time, rats given Celexa just before and after birth showed what researchers describe as substantial brain abnormalities and behaviors. Celexa is an SSRI, or serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor, a popular class of antidepressants that includes Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and Lexapro.
The rodents became “excessively fearful when faced with new situations and failed to play normally with other rats, which is the sort of behavior that is reminiscent of what is known as novelty avoidance and social impairments often seen in autism,” according to the National Institutes of Health, which funded the study. The abnormalities, however, were more pronounced in male than female rats, and the researchers note autism affects boys up to four times more often than girls.
This is the second time in recent months that a study has suggested a link between antidepressants and autism. Last July, a study reviewed medical records of more than 1,800 children, including 298 who have autism, and found the risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder was about twice as high among women who took SSRIs in the year before giving birth. And there was a three-fold risk associated with SSRI treatment during the first trimester. (see here).
In the most recent study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, male and female rat pups were given the drug before and after birth, and their brains and behavior were examined as they grew (you can read it here).
“The male rat pups abnormally froze when they heard unfamiliar tones and resisted exploring their environment” when encountering unfamiliar objects or scents, according to an NIH statement. What’s more, the behaviors continued into adulthood and the little male rats also shunned normal “juvenile play behavior,” which the researchers noted resembled behavior seen in autistic children.
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