AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A U.S. study finds young hamsters become aggressive on low doses of fluoxetine -- a finding that might explain some teenagers' reaction to anti-depressants.
University of Texas-Austin neuroscientists say their study offers tantalizing clues as to why some teenagers taking common anti-depressants may become more aggressive or kill themselves.
The researchers found juvenile hamsters given low doses of fluoxetine hydrochloride -- sold in the United States as Prozac -- became more aggressive on low doses of the drug. Juveniles given high doses became somewhat less aggressive, but not as much as adult hamsters, who calmed down on both high and low doses.
Doctoral student and lead author Kereshmeh Taravosh-Lahn says the findings confirm that juvenile and adult brains are different.
Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is the only medication approved to treat depression in children and adolescents. It affects the regulation of serotonin -- a naturally occurring neurotransmitter thought to be involved in depression -- by keeping it available longer in the brain's synapses.
The research appears in the October issue of the journal Behavioral Neuroscience, published by the American Psychological Association.
