I'm an aspiring theoretical physicist and I can just not tolerate to lose my ability to fully concentrate on problems. My healthy brain is my treasure, so I must protect it at any cost, maybe even with my severe back acne and social humiliation. I made this new topic in order to ask any of you that's been on accutane and successfully came out of it acne free: What is the net damage that the isotretinoin cure causes on your brain and how much are the logical processes hindered?

You're into science? Great! I'm into science as well. So let's skip the long personal anecdotes and get straight to the facts, shall we?

Study #1:

This abstract was published in The International Society of Dermatology.

BACKGROUND:

Depression and mood changes appear as potential side effects of isotretinoin. There have been many studies treating this topic but in most cases not identifying any significant depression or suicide risk. To further investigate this issue, we conducted a prospective, uncontrolled study to evaluate mood changes and suicidal ideations in patients receiving isotretinoin therapy.

METHODS:

One-hundred patients were included in our single center, no-blind, and no controlled prospective study. All patients completed the Beck'sDepression Inventory, Version II (BDI-II) before the treatment, following the first month of the treatment and then every third month until finishing the isotretinoin therapy. All questionnaires were checked by a psychiatrist. Suicidal ideations were monitored. Statistical analysis of BDI-II scores was performed.

RESULTS:

All patients completed the study. Before the treatment, six percent of the patients had suffered from depressive symptoms. During the isotretinoin treatment, we did not find any deterioration of depression problems in any of these patients. On the contrary, in most patients the depressive symptoms disappeared. Symptoms of depression occurred in two patients, in which case coexisting situational factors were found to be the cause. No occurrence of suicidal ideations was found.

CONCLUSIONS:

We did not find any depressive symptoms or suicide risk caused by isotretinoin. On the contrary, a statistically significant improvement of BDI-II scores was found. In our opinion, patients have to be informed about the risk of depression but emphasizing the fact that it is very rare.

Study #2:

This abstract was published in Elsevier Masson (a French journal).

BACKGROUND:

Isotretinoin, indicated in France in the treatment of severe acne (e.g. nodular acne, acne conglobata or acne likely to result in permanent scarring) resistant to adequate cure by standard systemic antibiotic therapy and topical treatments, has on occasion been suspected of being associated with suicide. A study involving collective reflection on this issue is presented herein.

METHODS:

The Psychodermatology Group of the French Dermatology Society, made up of dermatologists, psychiatrists, paediatric psychiatrists, psychoanalysts and clinical psychologists, met several times and views were exchanged by e-mail. The first two authors drafted the present article, which was then re-read, modified and approved by the members of the Psychodermatology Group, in particular by the co-authors. The article was then modified at the request of the proofreaders of the Annales de Dermatologie and re-read once more by members of the Psychodermatology Group.

RESULTS:

Psychological disturbances, including depression and other suicidal tendencies, are extremely common during adolescence and are clearly increased by acne, particularly where it is severe. Isotretinoin does not appear to increase this risk.

CONCLUSION:

Routine screening should be performed for psychological disturbance in adolescents, particularly among those presenting acne. Prescription of isotretinoin is not contraindicated in subjects presenting depression.

Study #3:

This was published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

BACKGROUND:

According to some animal data, impairments in learning and memory are seen with isotretinoin. Isotretinoin has been shown to affect human brain metabolism, but the data on human neural functions is lacking.

OBJECTIVES:

To evaluate whether isotretinoin treatment affects cognitive functions, causes depression and anxiety or alters anger level and anger expression.

METHODS:

Neuropsychological tests of attention and executive functions, behavioural tests measuring anger and depression and measures assessing acne severity were applied to 63 severe and/or resistant acne patients from four medical centres including one primary care institute and three university hospitals at the beginning, at the end of first month, third month and at end of treatment with isotretinoin.

RESULTS:

From a total of 63 patients, 15 missed the final visit and 48 were evaluated. Overall, 11 (six women, five men) and five (all women) patients reported anger and depression, respectively, during treatment. Eleven of these 16 patients improved spontaneously. No detrimental effects of isotretinoin treatment on either executive functions or mood were found. Several executive functions and control of anger trait were found to be improved. Clearing of acne was obtained in 94.6% of patients.

LIMITATIONS:

Improvement of several measures may be related to learning effect of repeated testing. Investigating brain functions is a complex process and various methods can be used.

CONCLUSION:

The test battery used in this study, which is commonly used to evaluate mental status both in adults and children, did not show any negative effect of isotretinoin on executive functional parameters in acne patients.

Study #1: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23347302

Study #2: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22325750

Study #3: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21545542

You'll be fine.

Thank you so much jazzybean I'm so glad I read through these studies now because the results really put that tremendous fear of lifelong loss off my shoulders. Finally! IT WAS PRESSING ON MY PIMPLES AND IT WAS HURTING LIKE HELL!