Botulinum toxin injections in the forehead intended to temporarily remove wrinkles or reduce their depth could have side effects. A study published in the journal Scientific Reports showed that botox, another name for the substance, could have an impact on the brain patients. It would alter their ability to interpret and reproduce emotions, say the work, relayed by the New York Post this Monday.
Un rapport de l’American Society of Plastic Surgeons counted 4,401,536 injections of this kind to the UNITED STATES in 2020. The figure has increased by 459% in twenty years. Faced with this growing success, researchers at the University of California decided to focus on the reactions of the human brain after the injection. MRIs were performed on ten women aged 33 to 40 before and after the operation.
Disturbed emotions on many levels
During these examinations, the participants had to observe photos of faces expressing various emotions. They were then asked to interpret these emotions. The study authors found that the injection altered brain activity in the amygdala, which is the part of the brain associated with emotions.
The fusiform gyrus, which helps recognize faces, would also be affected. He wouldn’t react as expected to the sight of a happy face. By freezing the face, botox would also indirectly impede the ability to reproduce an emotion. Indeed, many people copy the facial expressions that come their way to better feel them, following a process called facial feedback.