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A new study involving juvenile and adult hamsters uncovered some clues as to why young children and teens may experience aggression and even suicidal thoughts when taking the popular antidepressant Prozac.

Researchers compared the behavior between adolescent and adult hamsters that were injected with low and high doses of Prozac. The study found that young hamsters acted more aggressively when injected with low doses and were less aggressive on high doses, while adult hamsters were calm regardless of the dosage amount.

“There are a lot of studies on the maturation and evolution of the central nervous system structure through adolescence, and nobody thinks the adult brain is [the same as] the child''s brain. And this just reminds us that other studies are needed to try and understand what the difference means in terms of metabolism of drugs,” said Dr. Jon Shaw, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller Scholl of Medicine.

Study Details

The study, published in this month''s issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, created scenarios in which juvenile and adult hamsters were injected with various doses of Prozac and then placed in the same cage as another hamster for 10 minutes to assess their response.

Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin found that adult hamsters were calmer after receiving low or high doses of the drug. However, the young hamsters reacted differently depending on the doses.

Juvenile hamsters on low doses were much more aggressive than those injected with higher doses, although they were not as calm as the adults.

“We do know from adolescent studies that the brain continues to mature during adolescence, and even the early adult years,” said Shaw. “So, this study is an important study in that it reminds us that further research is really necessary to look at how an evolving central nervous system responds to different stimuli.”

Furthermore, the study authors noted that teenagers may produce lower levels of serotonin in their brain than adults, which may not be enough for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)—a new class of drugs that include Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft—to work properly.

Controversy Over Prozac

Prozac is one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants on the market and it is the only Food and Drug Administration approved medication for the treatment of depression in children and teens.

In 2004, the FDA ordered all manufacturers of SSRIs to add a “black box” label warning alerting consumers about the heightened risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and adolescents taking the drug.

While the new study adds some value to the controversy, experts point out that more research is needed to confirm the results.

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