An international clinical study showed that a single dose of a nasal spray containing the compound "mepivacaine benzoate" contributed to alleviating symptoms of treatment-resistant depression in adults, with improvements continuing for weeks, despite the short duration of the accompanying hallucinogenic effects of the compound.
Study Details and Participation
The scientific website "Medical Xpress" reported on Wednesday that the study was published in the American Medical Association journal "JAMA" on October 26. It included 193 people aged 18 to 75 who suffered from moderate to severe depression that did not respond to treatment with between two and five antidepressant medications during the current episode.
The study was conducted in 38 medical centers in the United States, Australia, and Europe. Researchers randomly assigned participants to receive a single dose of the spray at concentrations of 8 mg or 12 mg, or a low dose of 0.3 mg for comparison, along with psychological support under the supervision of specialists.
Clinical Results and Duration
The results showed that 85 percent of participants who received the 8 mg dose and 78 percent of those who received the 12 mg dose met the necessary safety criteria for discharge from the medical center within two hours of receiving the dose. Measurements taken after four weeks showed that the 12 mg dose achieved a reduction in depression scores assessed by doctors by an additional 5.3 points compared to the low dose.
The 8 mg dose showed similar improvement, and the observed benefits in both groups continued during the follow-up period, which lasted eight weeks. The compound "mepivacaine" works by activating serotonin receptors in the brain, including the "5-HT1A" and "5-HT2A" receptors, which play a role in regulating mood and cognition.
Mechanism of Action and Current Status
The compound is associated with short-term hallucinogenic effects compared to some other compounds under study for treating depression. Despite the encouraging results, the compound is still under clinical research, and its efficacy and safety require additional studies to confirm the results and determine its suitability for therapeutic use.
Treatment-resistant depression is depression whose symptoms do not improve sufficiently despite the use of two or more antidepressant medications.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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