Accutane is a member of the drug class known as retinoids, which have been shown to affect the way the body reads genes. Use of the drug while pregnant is known to harm fetuses and reduce the quantity of brain cells that they generate. This is why precautions are taken to ensure that women who are pregnant or who can become pregnant do not take the drug. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that brain-cell generation may be equally important in adolescents and adults. Researchers at the University of Baths and the University of Texas in Austin express Accutane can also interfere with the body's synthesis of the mood hormone serotonin.

While experience from the more than 13 million consumers of Accutane worldwide shows that only 5 to 10 percent suffer from side effects, retinoids have also been implied in connections to Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, so doctors are eager to know how the drug works.

Depression Linked to Acne Treatment

Acne treatment with the medication isotretinoin (Accutane) has been involved in an increase in feelings of depression among adolescent users, and while the link has never been demonstrated, scientists have collected evidence through an animal study.

Although researcher Dr. Sarah Bailey noted that it is impossible to ask a mouse if it is depressed, its behaviour can be observed and modeled through two tests. The first includes causing the adolescent mice to experience stress by forcing it to swim, while the other one induces stress by suspending the mice by its tail.

Acne Cure Tested for Side Effects

Usually, a mouse will swim, climb and struggle, and only periodically stop in a period of resignation. A depressed mouse will remain in its resigned state longer than one that is healthy. The mice given human-equivalent doses of Accutane tended to show increased depression-related behavior.

Accutane maker Roche claims, "While no causal link has been demonstrated between Accutane and either depression or suicide, we are permanently monitoring all available safety databases on Accutane worldwide." However, the World Health Organization has reported 720 cases of psychiatric problems associated to the use of Accutane, including 84 suicides and suicide attempts.

The argument that isotretinoin promoted depression and suicide has won a few lawsuits, and is partially responsible for the strict control of the drug, especially in the US. Various case studies of depression, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and suicide in patients treated with the acne skin care isotretinoin have been sent to the U.S. FDA Adverse Events Reporting System, with 431 incidences documented between 1982 and May 2001 - of these 37 patients had committed suicide.

Idiosyncratic Effects From Acne Skin Care

Studies have shown that patients with acne, the population group eligible to undergo isotretinoin treatment, have an increased chance of clinical depression compared with the general population. Isotretinoin associated depression is "an idiosyncratic side effect." Often anxiety can bring on acne and depression, creating more anxiety. Also, treatment of severe acne using isotretinoin has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression.

One study using positron emission tomography (PET) demonstrated functional brain imaging changes in patients treated with isotretinoin, however the clinical significance of this finding is unclear.