Antidepressant linked to developmental brain abnormalities in rodents

Antidepressant linked to developmental brain abnormalities in rodents:

'via Blog this'

A study by researchers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) shows that rats given a popularly prescribed antidepressant during development exhibit brain abnormalities and behaviors characteristic of autism spectrum disorders.

The findings suggest that taking a certain class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors -- SSRIs -- during pregnancy might be one factor contributing to a dramatic rise in these developmental disorders in children.

"We saw behaviors in the treated rats and neurological problems that indicate their brains are not properly conducting and processing information," said Rick C.S. Lin, PhD, professor of neurobiology and anatomical sciences at UMMC and principal investigator on the study.